Is Windsurf safe with your data?
Windsurf
Cognition AI, Inc.
Partial disclosure · high confidence
Windsurf earns a C (53/100) because it discloses its data practices only in part.
Dealbreaker flag
- D1.1: Cognition may use Customer Data for model training purposes and to improve and enhance the Services. If you subscribe to a paid Service Tier, you may opt out of this use
#67
of 216 apps ranked
53
score · Coding avg 51
+2
vs category average
Windsurf's policy lets Cognition use customer code and prompts to train its models, with an opt-out offered only to paid subscribers, and it defines a zero-retention mode that is likewise reserved for those who opt out.
What Windsurf's privacy policy and terms of service say about your data
Training
Customer Data may be used for model training, and the opt-out is available only on paid tiers, so free-tier users have no way to decline.
Retention
Zero Data Retention is defined as data never written to disk and deleted once the output is generated, but it switches on only after a paid-tier opt-out; the general retention rule is "as needed" with no stated period.
Age gate
The privacy policy sets the minimum age at 18 while the terms of service set it at 13.
Security
Safeguards are described only as "commercially reasonable," and the company reserves rather than commits to breach notification, placing notice duties on the customer.
What the policy is silent or vague on
- Not stated: keeping user inputs out of model training
- Not stated: a deletion timeline after closure or request
- Not stated: breach notification
- Only partial: a way to opt out of training
Windsurf privacy rating
Details
- Category
- Coding
- Modalities
- text
- Processes biometrics
- No
- Policy last updated
- Not stated
- Region scored
- Global / US-default
- Last assessed
- 2026-10-13
Documents examined
Other coding apps
Each grade reflects our analysis of what an app states in its public privacy policy and terms as of the assessment date. It measures the transparency of those documents, not the company's actual data practices, security, or compliance. Grades are our opinion, offered for general information. Full disclaimer.