Windsurf · Windsurf Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

User Content for AI Model Training

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 352 platforms
Get alerted the next time Windsurf changes these terms. Get same-day alerts →
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Recent governance activity Windsurf recorded 6 documented changes in the last 30 days.
Get same-day alerts →
Monitor governance changes for Windsurf Monitor emails you the same day this changes. The archive stays free.
Get same-day alerts →

Get the weekly research letter

Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean. No account.

Document Record

What it is

The policy states that user content, including personal information provided in inputs, file uploads, feedback, and outputs, may be used to train, fine-tune, and improve the AI models powering the services, subject to the terms applicable to the specific service tier.

This analysis describes what Windsurf's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision asserts a legitimate interests basis for using user-submitted content, including conversational inputs and file uploads, for model training purposes. The practical scope of this use depends on the terms applicable to the user's specific service tier, which may include enterprise or platform-specific agreements that modify or restrict this use.

Interpretive note: The provision states that model training use is conditional on 'the terms that apply to your use of the Services,' creating a dependency on service-tier-specific terms that are not reproduced in this policy.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Under this clause, user-submitted content including inputs, file uploads, and outputs may be processed for AI model training and fine-tuning. Users in the EEA and UK have the right to object to this processing by contacting privacy@cognition.ai, as the legal basis is stated as legitimate interests.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Opt Out of Arbitration
    Send an email to privacy@cognition.ai stating your objection to the processing of your personal information and user content for model training purposes under the legitimate interests basis.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle User Content for AI Model Training and similar clauses.

Compare across platforms →

Monitoring

Windsurf has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 25 platforms.

Get Monitor Or create a free account →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
To customize your experience with our Services and otherwise improve our Services including, depending on the terms that apply to your use of the Services, using User Content to train, fine tune and improve the models that power our Services.

Excerpt from Windsurf's Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

1. REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates GDPR Article 6(1)(f) regarding legitimate interests as a legal basis for processing, and requires a documented legitimate interests assessment and balancing test for EEA and UK deployments. The UK GDPR imposes parallel requirements. The FTC Act is relevant to the extent that the use of consumer data for model training constitutes a material data practice requiring adequate disclosure. The provision may also engage emerging state AI governance frameworks depending on jurisdiction. 2. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium-High. The use of user content for model training under a legitimate interests basis, without explicit consent, may face challenge under GDPR balancing test requirements, particularly where the content includes sensitive personal information or is submitted in professional or enterprise contexts. The policy conditions the scope of this use on the applicable service tier terms, creating a multi-document dependency that compliance teams should map. 3. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EEA and UK users have the statutory right to object to processing under legitimate interests, which could operationally limit model training data sources from those regions. California users may have rights under CCPA frameworks depending on applicability. Enterprise deployments in the EU face heightened exposure under GDPR given the breadth of user content categories involved. 4. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise customers should review the Data Processing Addendum and Platform or Enterprise Terms of Service to determine whether model training use of employee-generated content is excluded, restricted, or modified for their account tier. B2B procurement teams should confirm that the applicable service tier terms align with their organization's data governance obligations. 5. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Organizations should conduct a documented legitimate interests assessment if relying on this policy for EEA or UK data processing. Consent mechanism reviews should assess whether explicit opt-in or opt-out is operationally available for model training use. Data mapping should account for user content categories flowing into model training pipelines.

Full institutional analysis
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Start Professional · $99/mo Start with Monitor · $29/mo

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over unfair or deceptive data practices, including the use of consumer-submitted content for AI model training without sufficiently prominent disclosure.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Windsurf Privacy Policy
Entity
Windsurf
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
July 9, 2026
Last verified
July 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-015490
Document ID
CA-D-00486
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
8ae03e5811c24ed5bbaea9f9c76490240433de69cd8dd9fe5ba748fe87ea971b
Analysis generated
July 9, 2026 08:07 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Windsurf
Document: Windsurf Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-015490
Captured: 2026-07-09 08:07:32 UTC
SHA-256: 8ae03e5811c24ed5…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/windsurf/windsurf-privacy-policy/provision/CA-P-015490/user-content-for-ai-model-training/
Accessed: July 24, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Governance intelligence across arbitration, AI governance, data rights, indemnification, and retention
Provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, and regulatory mapping built from archived source documents and historical version tracking.
Start Professional · $99/mo Start with Monitor · $29/mo

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Windsurf's User Content for AI Model Training clause do?

This provision asserts a legitimate interests basis for using user-submitted content, including conversational inputs and file uploads, for model training purposes. The practical scope of this use depends on the terms applicable to the user's specific service tier, which may include enterprise or platform-specific agreements that modify or restrict this use.

How does this clause affect you?

Under this clause, user-submitted content including inputs, file uploads, and outputs may be processed for AI model training and fine-tuning. Users in the EEA and UK have the right to object to this processing by contacting privacy@cognition.ai, as the legal basis is stated as legitimate interests.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Windsurf?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Windsurf.