Character.AI Lets Users Opt Out of Training—Deletion Is a Separate Right

Character.AI lets users opt out of having new content used to train its generative AI models, but that setting does not delete personal data or close the account. After the opt-out, Character.AI may still use data to improve search, recommendations, safety classifiers, and other parts of the service.

Access, export, correction, deletion, objection, restriction, portability, and account removal are separate controls or legal requests. Character.AI’s July 2026 privacy update says the training opt-out can be exercised at any time, while other rights apply where available and may depend on the user’s location.

Match the control to the result you want

Start with the intended outcome. The company’s privacy policy summary says Character.AI collects information users provide directly, data generated through their interactions—including usage data and IP addresses—and, in some cases, information from connected third-party services.

• Training opt-out: prevents new content from being used to train generative AI models while the account remains available.
• Access: asks what personal data Character.AI holds about you.
• Export: obtains the data made available through the service’s download tool.
• Correction: asks Character.AI to rectify inaccurate personal information.
• Deletion or erasure: asks for qualifying personal data to be removed, subject to applicable conditions and exceptions.
• Objection or restriction: challenges or limits a particular use of data without necessarily erasing it.
• Portability: requests qualifying data in a reusable form where the right applies. It does not guarantee that another service can import Character.AI chats.
• Account deletion: permanently removes access to the Character.AI account through the product interface.

These outcomes should not be treated as interchangeable. If you want to preserve conversations or account information before closing the account, request an export first and confirm that you have received what you need.

Turn off generative-model training

In the mobile app, sign in, open Settings, select Data & Privacy, and deselect Improve the Model for Everyone. On the web, open Settings, then choose Account, Manage Account & Data, Model Improvement, and deselect the same setting.

Character.AI’s model-training instructions say the opt-out prevents new content from being used for generative-model training. They do not say it removes content already used, and they explicitly allow continued use of data for other improvements such as search, recommendations, and safety classifiers.

The operational instructions specifically address users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, even though the later privacy-update summary describes the opt-out more generally. If the setting is unavailable in your account, use Character.AI’s support form or email [email protected] and ask how the training opt-out applies in your country.

Export data before deleting the account

On the web, go to Profile, Profile Settings, Account, Manage Account & Data, and Export data. In the mobile app, open your profile, select the settings icon, and choose Export my data. These are the paths in Character.AI’s data-export instructions.

An export creates a copy without changing the training setting or closing the account. It is also not necessarily identical to a formal access or portability response: those legal rights depend on jurisdiction and may cover different information or formats.

If the self-service export does not contain the information you expected, send a separate request that identifies the account, your location, the right you want to exercise, and the categories of data at issue. Avoid including unrelated sensitive information in the request.

Use a privacy request for correction and regional rights

Character.AI lists access, correction, deletion, objection, restriction, and portability among the rights that may be available depending on region. It directs privacy questions to [email protected]. The July 2026 update additionally identifies withdrawal of consent and complaints to a supervisory authority for EEA and UK users.

State the requested outcome precisely. Ask for correction when held information is inaccurate; erasure when you want qualifying personal data removed; objection when you oppose a particular processing purpose; or restriction when you want qualifying processing limited. If you want more than one outcome, name each right separately rather than assuming one request automatically invokes all of them.

Location changes the available route. EEA and UK users may have the rights listed in the regional disclosures and may be able to complain to their national supervisory authority. Character.AI’s summary also references California rights, but the exact rights, exceptions, identity checks, and complaint options depend on the law that applies to the requester.

Delete the account only after saving what you need

On the web, open Profile, Profile Settings, Account, Manage Account & Data, and select Delete Account. In the mobile app, open your profile, select the settings icon, and choose Remove Account. Character.AI’s account-removal guide describes deletion as permanent and irreversible.

Save any needed material before starting that process and review the related account-deletion checklist. Training opt-out alone does not close the account, while closing the account should not be confused with obtaining an export beforehand or making a specifically scoped correction, objection, restriction, or portability request.

A practical order is: export and verify the saved copy; disable model training if you plan to keep using the service; submit any separate regional-rights requests; then remove the account if permanent closure is the intended result. Keep confirmations for privacy requests or account deletion in case follow-up is required.

Also read:

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