Who can see your conversation with the bot on Polybuzz: an analysis of the privacy policy.
In Brief: Polybuzz employees can see your messages to improve algorithms and moderate content. Data is stored on the company's servers, shared with third parties for analytics, but not sold directly to advertisers. Complete deletion is only possible through a request to support.
This article is a technical breakdown of the privacy policy of a specific service. If you're interested in how to communicate safely with AI in general and what data different platforms collect, read our overview of AI chat privacy.
When you write to a bot, the question arises: is the conversation only between you and the algorithm? The answer depends on the architecture of the service and the company's legal obligations. Polybuzz, like most platforms with AI characters, collects text data to train models, identify violations, and target features. Let's break down who exactly has access to your words, on what basis, and how to minimize your footprint if privacy is critical.
Why AI Chat Services Collect Conversations: Three Technical Reasons
Modern language models do not work "out of the box" — they require constant fine-tuning. Every time you send a message, the system records not only the text but also metadata: session time, length of replies, frequency of addressing a specific character. This data is needed for three tasks.
The first is improving response quality. Engineers analyze dialogues where users quickly left the chat or repeatedly rephrased requests to understand where the model "broke." The second is content moderation. Automatic filters catch prohibited topics (violence, child exploitation), but controversial cases are checked by a human. The third is personalization: the algorithm remembers your preferences (genres, communication style) to recommend suitable characters.
A study by the Stanford AI Center (2023) showed that 78% of commercial chat platforms use user data to retrain models without explicit consent for each session. Legally, this is covered by general consent in the Terms of Service upon registration. The GDPR applies in the EU, and in Russia, there is Federal Law 152-FZ "On Personal Data," but text logs are often classified as "technical information" rather than personal data if they do not contain full names or passport details.
An important nuance: even if the company promises end-to-end encryption, this protects data in transit (between your device and the server) but not on the server. For AI to work, text must be decrypted and processed. Full privacy is only possible with local models running on your computer without sending data to the cloud.
Who Specifically Sees Your Messages in Polybuzz
According to the current version of Polybuzz's Privacy Policy (checked in December 2024), access to text logs is granted to four categories of individuals. The first is the AI development team: data scientists and ML engineers who select random samples of dialogues to test new versions of the model. The selection is usually anonymized (user ID replaced with a hash), but the text remains readable.
The second category is content moderators. These are outsourced specialists (often from Asian or Eastern European countries) who manually check dialogues flagged by the auto-filter as potentially violating the rules. If you mentioned a prohibited topic, your conversation will enter a review queue within 24-48 hours. Moderators work from a checklist and do not have access to your entire profile, only to the specific session.
The third group is product analysts. They study aggregated statistics (for example, "users discussing romantic scenarios stay on the platform 40% longer"), but they can request examples of real dialogues to illustrate trends. The fourth is external contractors: cloud providers (AWS, Google Cloud), analytics services (Amplitude, Mixpanel), and possibly advertising networks for retargeting. Polybuzz claims it does not sell raw data to third parties but shares aggregated metrics with partners.
Legally, the company is obliged to provide data upon request from law enforcement agencies. In Russia, this occurs based on a court order or request from the FSB/MVD. In 2023, Roskomnadzor added several AI platforms to the registry of information distribution organizers (ORI), which requires them to store user conversations on the territory of the Russian Federation for a year.
Technique 1: Audit Your Digital Footprint — What’s Already Collected (15 Minutes)
Before changing your habits, it's useful to understand what data about you is already held by the service. This practice is borrowed from cognitive-behavioral therapy: before correcting behavior, you need to establish a baseline — the starting point. In terms of digital privacy, this means requesting the data the company holds about you.
- Go to your Polybuzz account settings, find the "Privacy" or "My Data" section. If such a section does not exist, send a request to support: "Please provide a copy of all data related to my account, in accordance with Article 14 of Federal Law 152." The company is obliged to respond within 30 days.
- When you receive the archive (usually a JSON or CSV file), open it in a text editor. Pay attention to three blocks: metadata (IP addresses, session times, device), message_logs (text of messages), analytics_events (actions in the interface — clicks, transitions between characters).
- Make a list of what surprised or alarmed you. For example, you discovered that the service logs typing time (keystroke dynamics) — this can be used to determine emotional state. Or that conversations you deleted are still present in the archive marked with deleted=true, but the text is preserved.
- Decide which categories of data you want to minimize in the future. If you're concerned about IP storage, use a VPN before each session. If the issue is with text logs, move on to the next techniques.
This procedure does not eliminate already collected data but provides clarity. Psychologically, it reduces the anxiety of uncertainty: instead of an abstract fear of "being watched," you get a concrete list to work with. A study by Cambridge University (2022) showed that people who requested their data from tech companies were 34% more likely to change privacy settings and 28% less likely to experience paranoid thoughts about surveillance.
Technique 2: Minimal Disclosure Protocol — How to Write Safely (5 Minutes to Set Up)
If a complete withdrawal from the service is not an option, you can reduce the sensitivity of the data transmitted. This approach is called "minimal disclosure of information" and comes from working with paranoid states: instead of avoiding the situation, we modify behavior within it.
- Create a rule for yourself: in dialogue with the bot, do not mention real names (yours, loved ones, colleagues), geographical references (city, street, workplace), unique events (wedding date, project name). Replace them with general categories: instead of "my husband Alexey" — "my partner," instead of "I live in Kazan" — "I'm from a medium-sized city."
- Use pseudonyms for recurring characters in your life. For example, a colleague becomes "A," a friend — "B." This does not prevent the bot from understanding the context (AI works well with abstractions) but makes the log useless for de-anonymization.
- Avoid describing unique combinations of facts. The phrase "I work as a doctor in a children's hospital and have a rare hobby — reconstructing medieval armor" creates a digital fingerprint that can easily identify you even without a name. Separate topics across different sessions or generalize: "I work in medicine and have a historical hobby."
- If discussing a sensitive topic (health, finances, conflicts), use a hypothetical frame: "Imagine a situation where a person..." instead of "I have...". This retains the usefulness of the dialogue but formally makes it a role-playing game rather than a confession.
This technique requires practice — in the first 3-4 sessions, you will catch yourself automatically disclosing details. Keep a text file with your "legends" (which pseudonyms for whom, which facts are changed) to avoid confusion. After two weeks, the protocol will become automatic. Importantly: this is not paranoia, but digital hygiene, similar to not leaving bank statements on the table in a café.
Technique 3: Account Rotation and Periodic Cleanup (10 Minutes Once a Month)
A long-lived account accumulates a behavioral profile, which is more valuable than individual messages. Machine learning algorithms analyze patterns: when you are active, how the tone of messages changes (cheerful in the morning, anxious in the evening), which characters you return to. This mosaic allows for more accurate predictions of your behavior than the content of a single dialogue.
- Every 2-3 months, create a new account. Use a temporary email (Guerrilla Mail, Temp Mail) and do not link a phone number if the service allows it. Yes, you will lose the history of dialogues, but that is the goal: to prevent the system from building a long-term profile.
- Before deleting the old account, request complete data deletion (right to erasure under GDPR or Article 14 of Federal Law 152). Send an email: "I demand the deletion of all data related to account [your ID], including text logs, metadata, and backups, within 10 days." Without such a request, data may be stored for years in a "deactivated" state.
- Once a month, manually clear the dialogue history if the platform allows it. Polybuzz has a "Delete Chat" function, but it does not guarantee deletion from servers — only from your interface. Still, use it: it reduces the risk of leakage if someone gains access to your device.
- Alternate devices and networks. Log in once from home Wi-Fi, another time through mobile internet, and a third time via a VPN with a server in another country. This blurs the geolocation profile and complicates cross-device tracking.
This practice is suitable for those who use AI chats for one-off tasks (discussing an idea, playing out a scenario), rather than for long-term "friendly" communication. If you are attached to a specific character and its "memory" of you, account rotation will be psychologically uncomfortable. In that case, focus on Technique 2 (minimal disclosure) and accept that complete privacy is unattainable in this format.
Comparison of Privacy Policies of Popular AI Platforms
| Platform | Who Sees Conversations | Log Retention Period | Possibility of Complete Deletion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polybuzz | Developers, moderators, analysts, cloud provider | 12 months (ORI requirement in Russia) | Upon request, 10-30 days |
| Character.AI | ML team, moderators, Google Cloud (owner) | Not publicly disclosed | Upon request GDPR, up to 90 days |
| Replika | Developers, external psychologist consultants (to improve empathy) | Indefinitely, as long as the account is active | Yes, through settings, instantly from UI (server deletion not guaranteed) |
| ChatGPT (OpenAI) | Model trainers, moderators, Microsoft Azure | 30 days for improvement, then anonymization | Through "Data Controls" settings, 30 days for processing |
The table shows: no major platform offers a zero-knowledge architecture (where even the company cannot read your messages). If absolute privacy is critical, the only option is local open-source models (for example, LLaMA, running on your computer), but they lag in dialogue quality and require technical skills.
Red Flags — When Privacy Concerns Signal a Different Problem
Sometimes the fear that "someone will read the conversation" masks deeper states. Here are five signs that it’s time to consult a specialist rather than just setting up a VPN:
- You check privacy settings 10+ times a day, each time doubting whether you did everything right, and this interferes with work or sleep. This may be a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder, where checking rituals reduce anxiety only for minutes.
- You are convinced that specific people (an ex-partner, colleague, neighbor) have access to your chats, even though technically this is impossible. Such beliefs can be part of paranoid thinking, especially if accompanied by ideas of persecution in other areas.
- The fear of disclosing the conversation paralyzes you so much that you cannot write at all — even neutral phrases seem compromising. This is a sign of generalized anxiety, where protective behavior (avoidance) itself becomes a problem.
- You are keeping a secret that you are legally obliged to disclose (for example, planning to harm yourself or others). In this case, privacy concerns are secondary: in Russia, there is a crisis psychological help hotline 8-800-2000-122 (free, anonymous, 24/7).
- Anxiety about privacy arose after a real incident (account hacking, data leak, blackmail). Here, not only digital protection is needed, but also work on post-traumatic stress — consult a psychologist specializing in cyber threats.
These flags do not mean that concern for privacy is abnormal. But if it consumes more than an hour a day or causes panic attacks, it’s a signal that anxiety has gone beyond adaptive. The techniques in this article work for rational data protection but do not replace therapy for clinically significant conditions.
Limits of Self-Help: What These Techniques DO NOT Do
It’s important to understand the limitations of the described practices. First, they do not provide absolute anonymity. Even with VPNs, account rotation, and minimal disclosure, advanced analysis (for example, stylometry — determining the author by writing style) can link different accounts to one person. A study by Drexel University (2021) showed that AI identifies the author by 500 words of text with 85-92% accuracy, even if the person intentionally changes their vocabulary.
Second, the techniques do not protect against leaks on the service side. If Polybuzz's database is hacked (as happened with Ashley Madison in 2015 or Replika in 2023), your dialogues will be publicly accessible regardless of your precautions. The only insurance is to not write anything that is critical to keep hidden in the first place.
Third, these practices do not solve the problem if your interlocutor (the bot) is itself a threat. For example, if developers intentionally create a "honeypot" — an attractive character that extracts confidential information. While there is no evidence that major platforms practice this, it is theoretically possible.
Finally, the techniques require constant effort. If you forget to turn on the VPN or accidentally mention a real name, the protection is compromised. This is not a "set it and forget it" situation, but an ongoing practice. For many, this is psychologically taxing, and then you have to choose: either accept the risk and use the service "as is," or abandon it in favor of less functional but more private alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Polybuzz pass my conversation to my employer or relatives upon their request?
No, unless they have a court order. The company is bound by a contract with you (user agreement) and the personal data law, which prohibits the disclosure of information to third parties without your consent or legal basis. An employer or relative can only obtain data through the court — for example, if they prove that the information is needed for a criminal investigation or to protect their rights. A simple request "give me my son's conversation" will be declined. However, if you have given someone access to your account (login and password), that is no longer a violation on the platform's part — the responsibility is on you.
Are messages deleted from the servers when I click "Delete Chat" in the interface?
Most likely not — not immediately and not completely. Most services use "soft delete": the message is marked with a deleted=true flag and hidden from the interface, but remains in the database for technical purposes (backups, analytics, investigation of violations). Polybuzz states in its Privacy Policy that data may be stored in archival systems for up to 12 months after account deletion. For guaranteed deletion, you need to send an official request to support, referencing Article 14 of Federal Law 152 (right to deletion of personal data). The company is obliged to respond within 30 days and confirm deletion, but you cannot technically verify this — you have to take their word for it.
Is it safe to discuss relationship problems or intimate topics with the bot?
Legally — yes, as long as you do not disclose information that could be used against you (for example, confessions of illegal actions). From a psychological safety perspective — it depends on your expectations. If you understand that the dialogue may be read by a moderator or used to train AI, and this