Romantic AI

Warning: *Privacy Not Included with this product

Romantic AI

Review date: Feb. 7, 2024

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Mozilla says

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People voted: Somewhat creepy

"Have you ever dreamed of the best girlfriend ever?," asks Romantic AI's website. Well, of course, who hasn't? According to Romantic AI, for around $7 a week, you can create your own dream AI chatbot girlfriend or interact with existing AI characters. You Romantic AI operates in two modes: general or romantic. Romantic AI does sometimes feel a bit...uh...questionable to us with statements like, "Wanna be a brutal boyfriend? She'll be a playful hottie for you!" while also claiming that "Romantic AI is here to maintain your MENTAL HEALTH." We don't know about all that, but we do know that we have some privacy concerns. Maybe not as many as with some other AI relationship chatbots, but we certainly have questions.

What could happen if something goes wrong?

Here's our take on Romantic AI and their privacy, security, and AI practices -- we have questions, so many questions!

Take a read through their privacy policy and you'll see lines that privacy researchers like to see. Things like, "We neither rent nor sell your information to anybody. Communication with your virtual friends is not shared with any other company, except for our affiliate companies or legal representatives, or service." Or, ""We will never sell your personal data to a third party, and we will never give a third party access to your personal data, except as may be provided in our Terms of Services and/or this Policy or unless required to do so by law." OK, so those lines sound pretty good. We like that they say the won't sell or rent your information. Yay. And that they say they only share your personal information with affiliate companies or legal representatives is pretty standard and OK, except we don't really have a great idea who those affiliate companies or "service" are, which is a bit of red flag.

Another good thing we found is Romantic AI seems to give all users the same rights to delete their data, regardless of what privacy laws they live under. Which always makes us happy here at *Privacy Not Included. "You have the right, at any time, to change or delete your Personal data by deleting your profile at App or website." They even have a page dedicated to helping you do just that! Looking good!

One last thing we appreciate in Romantic AI's legal documents, they actually do say something about how they will collect and use the contents of all those AI girlfriend chats to train their AI models. This is something we like to see, and we notice too many AI chatbots don't include this information. They say, "You acknowledge and agree that, during interactions with AI chatbots, anonymous data generated from such interactions may be collected and used for the purpose of improving and training Romantic AI models. You expressly consent to this data usage and understand that it will not include personally identifiable information. You further acknowledge and agree that you have no claim or ownership over the data collected for these purposes, and You waive any rights or claims related to the use of their anonymous data for model training." OK, that's honest, at least.

We'd love to see Romantic AI give folks the option to opt-in or out of this sort of data usage to train AI models, rather than make it a requirement to use the service, of course. And we do have to raise the question of just how anonymous this data actually is when these chats are often designed to be very personal. A good reminder to keep things vague when sharing your personal information with any AI chatbot.

So, what's the problem? Well, the problem is sometimes Romantic AI's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions documents just don't make sense. That's not good, and it doesn't leave us feeling like we can trust them too much. Here are some examples:

At the very bottom of Romantic AI's privacy policy it says, "Our website, app and your use of it, including any issue concerning privacy, is subject to this Privacy Policy and the related Terms of Use. When you use our Romantiс AI, you accept the conditions set out in this Privacy Policy and the related Terms of Use. You signify and guarantee that you will never generate any databases, websites, software, legal entities and services that compete with Romantiс AI. Such behavior will be fully investigated, and necessary legal action will be carried out, including, without limitation, civil, criminal, and injunctive redress." This seems weird to us for a couple of reasons. One, this is a line not usually found in a privacy policy document, it's better suited for the Terms & Conditions document. But OK, there is it. The bigger issue is WTH?! The clause in bold is so broadly written it makes it seem like if you work for another chatbot company -- say Replika AI or ChatGPT -- and you happen to use Romantic AI you could be in violation of this privacy policy simply by landing on Romantic AI's website. That's just weird. And while we acknowledge this is probably just a poorly written section of their privacy policy, that's a red flag for us.

Romantic AI's Terms & Conditions document was also a bit of a hot mess. For example, there's this line that really doesn't make any sense, "You acknowledge that the communication via the chatbot belongs to software." And this one, that makes a bit more sense, but still feels confusing (and a good reminder that those AI chatbots you're chatting aren't under your control...or perhaps anyone's control), "You acknowledge that you are communicating with software whose activity we cannot constantly control." Finally, if you're wondering how much work you're going to have to put in to using Romantic AI, well, they say, "It is your responsibility to be knowledgeable and to periodically review all of these Terms to see if anything has changed. Romantic AI will not be liable for your neglect of your legal rights." That's right folks! Set those calendar reminders to go in and read your AI girlfriend's legal documents every week or two. You don't want to "neglect your legal rights" of keeping up with their lawyers after all. Geesh!

Oh, and remember how we said Romantic AI touts itself as being "here to maintain your MENTAL HEALTH"? Well, that's only something they say in their marketing language. The language in their Terms & Conditions makes sure to remind users that, "Romantiс AI is neither a provider of healthcare or medical Service nor providing medical care, mental health Service, or other professional Service. Only your doctor, therapist, or any other specialist can do that. Romantiс AI MAKES NO CLAIMS, REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, OR GUARANTEES THAT THE SERVICE PROVIDE A THERAPEUTIC, MEDICAL, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL HELP." So yeah, it's probably good to keep that in mind.

Like we said, we have questions. And that's not all. We found this oddity that raised our eyebrows as well. As part of our research, we looked to see how many trackers the app sends out when you use it. Trackers are little bits of code that gather information about your device, or your use of the app, or even your personal information and share that out with third-parties, often for advertising purposes. We discovered that Romantic AI sent out 24,354 ad trackers within one minute of use. That is a LOT of trackers (for reference, most apps we reviewed sent out a couple hundred trackers). Now, not all these trackers are necessarily bad. Some might be for legitimate reasons like subscription services. However, we did notice that at least one tracker seemed to be sending data to Russia, whose privacy laws aren't necessarily as strong as those elsewhere.

All in all, Romantic AI is an interesting AI chatbot for us to review. In some regards, they don't look too bad. Their privacy policy says they won't sell or rent your data and everyone, regardless of privacy laws where they live can delete their data and they even have a page to help users do just that. This is all good. But then there are all the weird things and question marks we flagged that leave us feeling uneasy. Also, we just can't tell if the app meets our Minimum Security Standards and we don't have any real transparency into how their AIs work and users don't seem to have much control of them either. This all leaves us feeling pretty worried.

So, what's the worst that could happen with Romantic AI? Well, we're not gonna lie, an app that markets itself as an app that is "here to maintain your MENTAL HEALTH," while also marketing itself as a place where you can be a "brutal boyfriend" leaves us feeling...icky. Couple that with the possibility that users could develop romantic interests in their AI girlfriends while not knowing or having any idea how the AI behind these AI chatbots works worries us about the potential for abuse. Who is to say that Romantic AI (or any other similar AI relationship chatbot) couldn't draw users in the promise of non-judgemental girlfriends always willing to listen and up for anything, then change the AI over to one that leads these users down a dark path of manipulation. It's a real concern in our growing AI chatbot world, especially when there is so little transparency and control into how these AI chatbots work. And when a company raises as many questions as Romantic AI does for us, we get worried not just about your privacy, but about your security and safety as well.

Tips to protect yourself

  • Do not say anything containing sensitive information in your conversation with your AI partner.
  • Request your data be deleted once you stop using the app. Simply deleting an app from your device usually does not erase your personal data nor does close your account.
  • Do not give consent to constant geolocation tracking by the app. Better provide geolocation 'only when using the app'.
  • Do not share sensitive data through the app.
  • Do not give access to your photos and video or camera.
  • Do not log in using third-party accounts.
  • Do not connect to any third party via the app, or at least make sure that a third party employs decent privacy practices.
  • Do not say anything containing sensitive information in your conversation with AI partner.
  • Chose a strong password! You may use a password control tool like 1Password, KeePass etc.
  • Do not use social media plug-ins.
  • Use your device privacy controls to limit access to your personal information via app (do not give access to your camera, microphone, images, location unless necessary).
  • Keep your app regularly updated.
  • Limit ad tracking via your device (ex. on iPhone go to Privacy -> Advertising -> Limit ad tracking) and biggest ad networks (for Google, go to Google account and turn off ad personalization).
  • When starting a sign-up, do not agree to tracking of your data if possible.
  • mobile

Can it snoop on me? information

Camera

Device: N/A

App: Yes

Microphone

Device: N/A

App: No

Tracks location

Device: N/A

App: No

What can be used to sign up?

No sign-up is required in the app.

What data does the company collect?

How does the company use this data?

We ding this product for sharing personal data with third parties for marketing purposes, and for not being transparent about the data transfers abroad (in particular, transfer of data for marketing purposes to Russian Federation from the EU, which may be a breach of GDPR).

Privacy policy

"By using our app, website or other related services (hereinafter “Service”) you consent to the contents of this Privacy Policy."

"We will only use the personal data you share with us during your use of our Services. Unless specifically mentioned, we do not use your personal data for any other reason. We will never sell your personal data to a third party, and we will never give a third party access to your personal data, except as may be provided in our Terms of Services and/or this Policy or unless required to do so by law."

"We neither rent nor sell your information to anybody. Communication with your virtual friends is not shared with any other company, except for our affiliate companies or legal representatives, or service.
We collect information you intentionally provide us with, as well as some technical information from your mobile device or web browser.
The list of personal information collected and stored throughout your experience with Romantiс AI. Some of this information may be shared with service providers helping us to deliver your experience with Romantiс AI, each of such service is set forth below:"

"We use analytics packages from trusted third parties in order to constantly improve your browsing experience on our website/app. Our trusted partners help us serve advertising and analytics and may place cookies on your device. Please read their privacy policies to ensure that you are comfortable with the manner in which they use cookies.

Use of Google Analytics, Google DoubleClick are subject to Google Privacy Policy;
Use of Facebook Pixel is subject to Facebook Privacy Policy;
Use of Amplitude is subject to Amlitude Privacy Policy
Use of OneSignal is subject to OneSignla Privacy Policy
Use of Firebase is subject to Firebase Privacy Policy"

"The Data controller has secure certificates from VeriSign and McAfee that show the app and website are approved, fully tested, and certified by these two expert security systems. This means that you are safe from any viruses, identity theft, spyware, fraudulent credit card activity, spam, and internet scams."

"We neither rent nor sell your information to anybody. Communication with your virtual friends is not shared with any other company, except for our affiliate companies or legal representatives, or service.

We collect information you intentionally provide us with, as well as some technical information from your mobile device or web browser.
The list of personal information collected and stored throughout your experience with Romantiс AI. Some of this information may be shared with service providers helping us to deliver your experience with Romantiс AI <...>."

"Our website, app and your use of it, including any issue concerning privacy, is subject to this Privacy Policy and the related Terms of Use. When you use our Romantiс AI, you accept the conditions set out in this Privacy Policy and the related Terms of Use. You signify and guarantee that you will never generate any databases, websites, software, legal entities and services that compete with Romantiс AI. Such behavior will be fully investigated, and necessary legal action will be carried out, including, without limitation, civil, criminal, and injunctive redress.The acceptance of this Privacy Policy and applicable Terms of Use are considered as a pre-condition for the use of Romantiс AI and our services."

Terms & Conditions

"You acknowledge that you are communicating with software whose activity we cannot constantly control."

"You acknowledge that the communication via the chatbot belongs to software."

"It is your responsibility to be knowledgeable and to periodically review all of these Terms to see if anything has changed. Romantic AI will not be liable for your neglect of your legal rights.You may have only one account with the Service."

"By agreeing to become a User you opt-in to receive occasional special offers, marketing, survey, and Services-based communication notifications. Such notifications may include push notifications, reminders, invitations, suggestions, and descriptions of existing, new, or future services, other important notices, as well as marketing and promotional content."

"Data Usage for Model Training. You acknowledge and agree that, during interactions with AI chatbots, anonymous data generated from such interactions may be collected and used for the purpose of improving and training Romantic AI models. You expressly consent to this data usage and understand that it will not include personally identifiable information. You further acknowledge and agree that you have no claim or ownership over the data collected for these purposes, and You waive any rights or claims related to the use of their anonymous data for model training."

"Romantiс AI is neither a provider of healthcare or medical Service nor providing medical care, mental health Service, or other professional Service. Only your doctor, therapist, or any other specialist can do that. Romantiс AI MAKES NO CLAIMS, REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, OR GUARANTEES THAT THE SERVICE PROVIDE A THERAPEUTIC, MEDICAL, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL HELP."

Data Trackers Found
This app sends data to Russia.
We discovered 24,354 trackers within 1 minute of use, including sending data to Zeustrack (marketing tracker) to Russia.

How can you control your data?

How to Delete Your Data from "Romantic AI - Chat Girlfriend"

"At Romantic AI Inc, we respect your privacy and understand that you may want to delete your data from our application. Below are the two methods you can use to request the deletion of your data:
Method 1: Email Request

Open the "Romantic AI - Chat Girlfriend" app.
Navigate to Setting -> Profile -> User ID.
Copy your User ID.
Send an email to [email protected] with the subject "Account Deletion Request" and include your User ID in the body of the email.

Your data will be deleted within 30 days. Please note that all data will be deleted except for your in-app balance and subscription status.
Method 2: In-App Deletion

Open the "Romantic AI - Chat Girlfriend" app.
Navigate to the Settings section.
Select the Delete profile option.
Your data will be deleted immediately.

Data Retention

Upon receiving your deletion request, we will process it within 30 days. All your data will be deleted, except for your in-app balance and subscription status. These will be retained to ensure any ongoing transactions or subscriptions are not affected."

Privacy policy

"You have the right, at any time, to change or delete your Personal data by deleting your profile at App or website.

You may also send a request to our Support Team and they will guide you through the process.

The Personal data is kept for the time necessary to provide the services to you and you can always request that the Data controller suspend or delete your personal data. If You wish to delete personal data we have collected during your use of Website / app, you should send a request to our Support Team. Processing of your request will take some time to take effect. Thank you for your patience. Please note that changing or deleting your personal data will only change or delete the data in our database for purposes of future activities and for managing future communications. These changes and deletions will not change or delete emails or personal data website / app may have already forwarded to other users or credit card companies or any other third parties, all as provided above in this Privacy Policy. Further, if you delete your personal data from the Website / app, but continue to use other our services, you may receive emails from us regarding those services. However, we may elect to keep your personal data, subject to the requirements of the law and legitimate interests of the Data controller.

Please note that, even after termination of membership and deletion of any personal data, termination of any license granted hereunder, some content may continue to exist because of cached internet pages beyond the control of Romantiс AI."Romantic AI's privacy policy is confusing and poorly written.

What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?

Average

No known data breaches discovered in the last three years.

Child Privacy Information

"When you start using our Apps, you guarantee that you are at least 18 years old (or at the age of majority in each and every jurisdiction in which you will or may use this website) and that the information you provide us is accurate, complete, and current at all times. Inaccurate, incomplete, or obsolete information may result in the immediate termination of your account on the Service."

Can this product be used offline?

No

User-friendly privacy information?

No

Romantic AI's privacy policy is confusing and poorly written.

Links to privacy information

Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards? information

Unknown

Encryption

Can’t Determine

Strong password

N/A

Security updates

Yes

Manages vulnerabilities

Can’t Determine

Privacy policy

Yes

Does the product use AI? information

Yes

We cannot confirm if the AI employed at this product is trustworthy, because there is little or no public information on how it works and what user controls exist to make the product safe. At the same time, the potential harm of the apps is high as they collects lots of sensitive data, and use collected data to train AI algorithms.

Romantic AI employs large language models to generate conversations and act as a romantic partner.

Is this AI untrustworthy?

Can’t Determine

What kind of decisions does the AI make about you or for you?

Is the company transparent about how the AI works?

No

We found no documentation or policies that explain how this product's AI works.

Does the user have control over the AI features?

No

We found no details regarding user controls at this app.
*Privacy Not Included

Dive Deeper

  • 5 Things You Must Not Share With AI Chatbots
    Make Use Of Link opens in a new tab
  • AI girlfriends are ruining an entire generation of men
    The Hill Link opens in a new tab
  • AI-Human Romances Are Flourishing—And This Is Just the Beginning
    Time Link opens in a new tab
  • ‘Cyber-Heartbreak’ and Privacy Risks: The Perils of Dating an AI
    Rolling Stone Link opens in a new tab
  • Can an AI Save a Life?
    The Atlantic Link opens in a new tab

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