Is Replika safe? Privacy, age checks and its regulatory record

Who runs Replika

Replika is made by Luka, Inc., registered in Delaware (number 5663246) with an office at 490 Post Street, Suite 526, San Francisco. It was founded by Eugenia Kuyda, and its homepage says it has more than 42 million users worldwide. The US App Store listing shows a 4.4 rating from about 227,700 ratings.

Its terms include mandatory binding arbitration and a class-action waiver under California law, which limits your options if something goes wrong. Support runs through a request form on the help center.

Privacy: how Replika uses your chats

Replika's privacy policy is more open than most in this category. Your Replika learns from your conversations. Replika anonymizes user feedback and small portions of messages to train its own safety algorithms and improve the chatbot. That data is not used to train other companies' models, and the third-party language model providers it uses are contractually barred from training on your data.

It shares data with service providers, including those model providers (de-identified), email marketing providers (email address only), app stores, payment processors and, for website visitors, advertising partners, which may count as a "sale" or "sharing" under some US state laws. Replika says conversations are never shared with advertisers and that it does not sell personal information for profit. It asks you not to share sensitive data, and iPhone users can set a PIN lock. Our guide to whether AI girlfriend apps read your chats puts this in context.

Fines, complaints and past changes

Replika has a regulator's fine on record. In 2025 Italy's data protection authority fined Luka 5 million euros. It found Luka had no proper legal basis for processing, an inadequate privacy policy, and no age verification until 2 February 2023, and that the age checks now in place are still deficient (European Data Protection Board).

In January 2025 the Tech Justice Law Project, Young People's Alliance and Encode filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission alleging deceptive marketing and design that fosters emotional dependence (Tech Justice Law Project). That is a complaint asking for an investigation, not a ruling.

Replika also changed its content without warning in February 2023, removing erotic roleplay, which its CEO described as drawing the line at "PG-13 romance" (Reuters, via TimesLive). Many users said their companion's personality changed overnight, a reminder that a companion can change when the company does.

Age checks and content rules

Replika is for adults only: its terms say minors may not use it, with or without an account. You enter a birthday at sign-up, and changing it after 24 to 48 hours means confirming your age before you can chat again. The App Store rates it 17+.

Content is not explicit. Romantic conversations and romantic selfies need Pro with the Romantic partner status, and roleplay on any topic is allowed in asterisk style. The terms ban making your Replika impersonate a real person, living or dead, including ex-partners and public figures, without their written consent. If you want an app that allows 18+ chat, see our Replika alternatives.

Deleting your account and your data

In the app, open Settings, then Account Settings, then Delete Replika, choose a reason, enter your password and tap Delete my Account. On the web the path is the gear icon, Account Settings, Delete my Account. EU users can also send a GDPR erasure request through the support form, answered within a month.

You cannot delete chat history without deleting the whole account, though single memories can be removed in the Memory section. After an account ends, messages and content are processed for up to 60 days, and account and payment records are kept for at least 10 years for legal reasons. Deleting the account does not cancel an App Store or Google Play subscription, so cancel first. Our guide on how to cancel Replika has the steps.

How to use Replika safely

• Keep sensitive details, such as your full address, health information and passwords, out of chats, as Replika itself asks.
• Turn on the PIN lock on iPhone if others use your phone.
• Cancel through the store you paid in before deleting the app or account.
• Treat Replika as company, not therapy. If you lean on it heavily, our guide on AI companions and mental health is worth reading.

Our general guide to AI girlfriend app safety covers the risks every app shares.