Is Windsurf safe with your data?

Windsurf

Cognition AI, Inc.

45/100

Weak disclosure · high confidence

Windsurf earns a D (45/100) because it leaves much about its data practices unstated.

#123

of 211 apps ranked

score · Coding avg 50

-5

vs category average

Grade scaleA · 70–100B · 60–69C · 48–59D · 35–47F · 0–34

Windsurf trains on user inputs with selective opt-outs (Chat loses service; Autocomplete only for discriminative models) and assigns outputs to users with caveats, but lacks concrete retention periods, named security controls, or breach timelines.

What Windsurf's privacy policy and terms of service say about your data

Training data use & opt-out

Chat inputs train generative models with opt-out that terminates service; Autocomplete only trains discriminative models via 'code sharing options' in settings

Output ownership & reuse

User retains copyright in inputs; provider assigns outputs to user ("if any") but reserves training rights via Feedback and safety-flagged content

Data rights & retention

Access, portability, correction, object/restrict rights named; deletion conditional on vague "as needed" retention; no named period (silent=ladder 0)

Security & breach gaps

Only "commercially reasonable" boilerplate; no named controls, certs, DPO, or breach notification timeline; sub-processor list absent despite DPA footer link

What the policy is silent or vague on

Not stated: keeping user inputs out of model training
Not stated: whether training use differs by plan
Not stated: your ownership of generated outputs
Not stated: a retention period for your data

Windsurf privacy rating

Training-data use1 of 4 disclosed

Keeps user inputs out of model training, or makes training opt-inSilent

Names a way to opt out of or into trainingDisclosed

Says whether training use differs by plan or tierSilent

Lets the user keep ownership of generated outputsAdverse

Data-subject rights4 of 5 disclosed

Grants a right to access your dataDisclosed

Grants a right to delete your dataPartial

Offers data portability in a usable formatDisclosed

Grants a right to correct your dataDisclosed

Grants a way to object to or opt out of processingDisclosed

Retention and deletion0 of 4 disclosed

States a retention period for your dataSilent

States a deletion timeline after closure or requestSilent

Sets a shorter retention for AI conversation logsSilent

Commits to collecting only the data it needsPartial

Third-party sharing2 of 5 disclosed

Lists the categories of third parties it shares withPartial

References a sub-processor list or data processing agreementSilent

Does not sell or share data for advertising, or offers opt-outDisclosed

Names a safeguard for international data transfersDisclosed

States a standard for government and law-enforcement accessPartial

Transparency1 of 4 disclosed

Discloses that you are interacting with AISilent

Marks AI-generated or synthetic outputNot applicable

Enumerates the categories of data it collectsDisclosed

Maps processing purposes to legal basesPartial

Is versioned and dated, with change noticePartial

Sensitive data and children0 of 2 disclosed

Discloses automated decisions and a human-review pathNot applicable

Limits the use of special-category dataSilent

Governs biometric data specificallyNot applicable

States protections for children's dataSilent

Security and accountability0 of 3 disclosed

Describes its security safeguardsPartial

Commits to breach notificationSilent

Names a certification or a privacy contactSilent

DisclosedPartialSilentAdverseNot applicable

Details

Category: Coding
Modalities: text
Processes biometrics: No
Policy last updated: 2026-03-09
Region scored: Global / US-default
Last assessed: 2026-07-08

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.