How to delete your data from AI companion apps in the Netherlands

Deletion, cancellation and retention work differently in each app. Compare deletion routes, retention periods and GDPR contacts for users in the Netherlands.

AArtur PuleevUpdated 2026-10-29How we test

18+ only. This guide concerns accounts used for conversations with fictional adult characters.

Before you delete your data from an AI companion app, know that there is rarely a single button that removes everything. A chat log, a saved memory, an account and a recurring payment each fall under separate rules, and each operator sets its own. OurDream says account deletion automatically cancels an active subscription. Replika says deleting the account does not stop billing. Nastia will not delete an account while a membership is still active (all checked 2026-10-28).

For users in the Netherlands, the operator's location decides where a request goes and which retention schedule applies. Candy.ai is run by EverAI Limited in Malta, Promptchan by VisionAI Labs Limited in Ireland, Nastia by Nastia Cybernetics in France, and HeraHaven, Kupid and Lovescape by companies registered in Cyprus. Nomi, OurDream, Replika, Secrets AI and Character.AI name US operators.

Payments leave a separate trail. Whatever method you used at checkout, your bank or card statement may show a name that differs from the app: EverAI for Candy.ai, S LABS INC for Secrets AI, NDAI.CC for SpicyChat. Those lines help you find forgotten accounts before you start deleting. The overview of companion apps in the Netherlands covers availability and payment options in more detail.

What deletion covers, service by service

Before you act, separate four kinds of data: the conversation history, the facts a companion has saved about you, the account itself and the payment records. Replika is a good example. You can read and remove saved memories one at a time under Home, the Replika's name and Memory, but removing the whole conversation history means deleting the account (checked 2026-10-28). CrushOn's FAQ only allows deleting messages newer than 24 hours, so that control cannot clear older lines one by one. Lovescape documents a clear-chat option for each character, and its blog says deleted chats are removed permanently. Nastia also allows chat deletion.

Deal with the subscription in the right order. Nastia's help states that an active subscription blocks account deletion, so you start with Membership, Manage, Danger Zone and Cancel membership. Only after that do you go to Account, Danger zone, type the phrase delete my account and enter your password. Promptchan also asks users to cancel first. Deletion then disables the account immediately and removes it after a 30-day recovery window unless you restore it. CrushOn warns that an active subscription may prevent deletion. OurDream does it the other way round: deleting the account cancels the membership automatically, takes 24 to 48 hours to process and forfeits remaining Dreamcoins without refund. If you bought through Apple or Google, cancel in that store. Promptchan notes that legacy store subscriptions can keep billing without giving any website benefits.

Retention clauses list different periods for different categories, so read them that way rather than looking for one number. Nomi's policy, dated 2026-04-27, says personal information is removed within about 28 days of account deletion, with exceptions for support communications and legal retention. Replika's policy, dated 2026-05-27, keeps profile, message, content and preference data for up to 60 days after the contract ends. It removes or de-identifies analytics after 1 year and keeps some financial and device records for at least 10 years. Candy.ai's policy, dated 2026-10-19, generally keeps account data for up to 3 years after last activity, financial records for 10 years and marketing data for at most 2 years after the last interaction. It also says erasure requests are handled without undue delay, subject to exceptions. GirlfriendGPT and Kupid both normally keep personal data for 6 years after account closure. Nastia describes deletion as normally immediate and irreversible, although enforcement records may stay for up to seven years, or longer where the law requires. OurDream says shared popular characters may remain after an account is gone. JOI says third parties may retain earlier copies and sets no fixed deletion deadline.

Encryption and training are separate questions from deletion. Nomi states plainly that its chats are not end-to-end encrypted. OurDream describes encryption at rest and in transit, and Lovescape's blog describes transport and at-rest encryption with limited moderator access. Neither is end-to-end encryption. Venice offers end-to-end encryption only as an optional Pro mode. Its Anonymous mode may send prompts to external providers that retain them, while its Private mode comes with a no-retention commitment.

The documents take different positions on training:

• OurDream's policy permits using user content to train AI models.
• Candy.ai's policy covers AI training and possible human review of de-identified interactions.
• JOI says messages help improve replies and develop AI.
• HeraHaven's terms allow training on user content unless you opt out by emailing [email protected].
• Lovescape's blog says generated content is not used for training without explicit consent. That does not mean the same promise covers every chat.
• Replika's contracts bar third-party AI processors from training their own models on conversations, which is narrower than a full internal policy.

These are permissions written into documents. They are not evidence of what happened to any one conversation.

Some services publish no deletion button. GirlfriendGPT sends erasure or consent-withdrawal requests to Support. Kupid points to a controller email in its privacy policy, and HakkoAI handles deletion through its policy contact. JOI lets you delete the profile on the website or ask support, and its data protection officer can be reached through [email protected]. JOI's US terms name Lanoto Solutions Inc., but its privacy policy names NOVI LIMITED in Cyprus as controller, so address privacy requests to the controller. We found no published deletion path for HeraHaven on 2026-10-28, so start with its privacy policy.

Some data sits outside the account. Perchance AI Chat stores conversations in your browser's local storage, so clearing the site data removes them. Save files and shared conversation links create copies elsewhere. HakkoAI keeps automatically captured screenshots for three calendar days. Screenshots you add to a chat yourself stay in the chat database with no such limit, and on PC its focused-window capture is on by default. HakkoAI processes cloned voices through ElevenLabs, and you can revoke or delete them. Promptchan says unsaved generations expire after 24 hours.

Age checks produce their own records. Character.AI uses Persona and says it does not receive identity images, and that Persona deletes biometric data within 7 days. SpicyChat says its verification vendor passes on only the outcome. Nastia says it receives the result, time and country, not an ID, photo or date of birth. If you want that outcome record removed too, name it in your request.

Ownership can change. Character.AI announced a voluntary Chapter 11 sale process on 2026-10-12. It says its existing privacy policy is unchanged and that data export and deletion remain available. On the web, the route is Profile, Profile Settings, Account, Manage Account and Data, Delete Account. On mobile, it is Profile, Settings, Remove Account, and the deletion is permanent. Deletion controls are one of eight criteria in the comparison of AI girlfriend apps, all based on published facts.

Deletion checklist

Follow these steps in order. Most failed deletions come from a subscription that is still running or a request sent to the wrong company.

• Search your bank or card statements for unfamiliar names such as EverAI, S LABS INC, NDAI.CC or joi.com to find every account you have.
• Note where you bought each subscription: website, Apple App Store or Google Play. Cancel through the same channel.
• Cancel before deleting where the service requires it, as Nastia and Promptchan do and as CrushOn may.
• Check whether deletion forfeits paid balances. OurDream, for example, removes remaining Dreamcoins without refund.
• If you don't want to delete the whole account, remove saved memories or recent chats with the in-app tools.
• Before the account disappears, save only what you really need, such as a billing confirmation.
• Use the documented deletion route, or email the published privacy contact if there is no route.
• Send privacy requests to the data controller named in the privacy policy, which may be a different company from the one in the terms.
• List every category in your request: conversations, memories, uploaded files, voice clones and age-check outcome records.
• Clear browser site data for browser-based tools such as Perchance, and delete local exports or shared links.
• Keep the deletion confirmation and compare its date with the retention periods the operator publishes.

Your rights in the Netherlands and where to complain

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (the AVG in Dutch), people in the Netherlands can ask an operator which personal data it holds, request erasure and withdraw consent where processing depends on it. Operators normally have one month to respond. Article 17 of the regulation sets out the right to erasure and its exceptions, which is why published policies keep financial or legal records after deletion. Several of the operators above are established in the EU, in Malta, Ireland, France and Cyprus. GirlfriendGPT, based in Canada, states that GDPR rights apply to EU users, and Kupid describes GDPR rights in its policy.

Regulators in other member states have taken action against companion apps. On 2026-07-03 the Italian Garante fined Character.AI EUR 158,000 and issued a 120-day corrective order on transparency, accountability, security and EU-representative issues. An appeal is permitted. On 2025-04-10 the same authority fined Replika's operator Luka EUR 5 million over past failures on legal basis, transparency and age verification, with an appeal noted. These decisions apply to Italy and are not a ban in the Netherlands.

If an operator ignores or refuses a request, you can complain to the Dutch data protection authority, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Keep copies of your request and any reply.

Refunds are covered by consumer rules, not privacy law. Candy.ai's terms (section 10.4.3, checked 2026-10-29) give EU consumers 14 days from the purchase confirmation email to withdraw from an initial purchase. Renewals are excluded, and the value of services already used is deducted. Secrets AI's refund policy also describes a 14-day EU withdrawal period, with full or proportional treatment depending on use. The Netherlands companion-app guide covers subscription terms in more detail.

Frequently asked questions