You’ve probably opened Canva more times than your camera app, to design resumes, posters, memes, or your brand’s next masterpiece. But every drag, drop, and upload you make sends data somewhere. Canva’s Privacy Policy (updated October 30, 2025) lays out what happens to that data, and it’s long, legal, and easy to scroll past.
So here’s the human-readable version: what Canva really does with your data, explained like a friend walking you through the fine print.
What Canva Collects About You
Canva collects a lot, but not necessarily what you think. It’s grouped into a few big buckets.
1. Information You Give Them Directly
When you create an account or interact with Canva, you hand over basics like your name, email, birthday, and profession, plus whatever you upload or create.
That includes your designs, messages, and feedback, essentially, anything you type or drop into the platform.
Direct quote:
“We may ask for certain information when you register for a Canva account… such as a username, your first and last names, birthdate, phone number, profession, physical and e-mail address.”
If you don’t share these details, Canva says your experience “may not be as enjoyable.” Translation: the app might not work right.
2. Information from Third Parties
If you log in through Google, Facebook, or TikTok, Canva gets data from those platforms, including your user ID, name, and whatever you’ve made public.
They also collect info from marketing data brokers about your job title, company size, and industry to “personalize offers.”
Direct quote:
“We may obtain information about you from third-party sources… such as public sources, social media platforms and third-party data providers.”
You can opt out of this extra data collection, but it’s not obvious. Canva buries the opt-out link inside your privacy settings.
3. Information Collected Automatically
Canva automatically logs your every click, search, and device signal. This includes:
- Usage data (how you use Canva)
- Cookies (small files tracking behavior)
- Device identifiers (unique codes tied to your phone or laptop)
- Location data (IP-based or GPS-level)
They say it’s for analytics and improvement, and for personalizing what you see.
Direct quote:
“We will directly collect or generate certain information about your use of the Service… for data analytics and machine learning.”
Even your uploaded files, photos, videos, designs, are “content within your account” and part of their data ecosystem.
How Canva Uses Your Data
This is where things get interesting, and a bit futuristic. Canva uses your data to:
- Operate and improve its platform
- Customize what you see
- Communicate updates and marketing offers
- Train its AI tools and algorithms
- Detect fraud or policy violations
- Comply with legal requests
Yes, your designs can be analyzed by machine learning models. They say it’s for features like background removal or template recommendations, not for public AI training outside Canva.
Direct quote:
“We may analyze your activity, content, media uploads and related data in your account… to train our algorithms, models and AI products and services using machine learning.”
You can control this. Go to your privacy settings and toggle off “Use my data for AI training.”
Who Canva Shares Your Data With
Canva doesn’t sell your data, but it definitely shares it, across a web of partners.
1. Service Providers
They share data with companies that handle billing, hosting, analytics, marketing, and customer support.
Direct quote:
“We share your information with Canva affiliates and third-party service providers… to the extent necessary for them to perform a business or technology support function for us.”
2. Teams & Collaboration
If you’re part of a Team account, your name, email, and activity may be visible to your teammates, and the team owner can even take control of your shared designs.
Set your links wisely; “anyone with the link” means literally anyone.
Direct quote:
“Our designs are private by default… For designs with personal or confidential information, we don’t recommend the ‘anyone with the link’ setting.”
3. Authorities and Mergers
Canva will share your data with law enforcement if needed, and could transfer your information if the company is ever sold or merged.
Direct quote:
“Canva may also share, sell or transfer your information to third parties in connection with… any merger, acquisition, reorganization, financing, sale of assets, bankruptcy or insolvency event.”
Canva and Advertising
Canva partners with ad networks like Facebook, Google, Taboola, and Appsflyer to deliver personalized ads, both inside Canva and across the web.
They don’t “sell” your data to advertisers, but they do share identifiers so ads can follow you.
Direct quote:
“Canva may share certain information with our third party advertising partners, such as your email address, location, cookie information and information relating to your use of our Service.”
You can opt out of this data matching by emailing privacy@canva.com or through your Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information banner if you’re in the U.S.
Where Your Data Goes
Your data travels, a lot. Canva processes information in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, the EU, the UK, the Philippines, and New Zealand.
They follow the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, but your data could still end up in places with different privacy laws.
Direct quote:
“Your information… will be stored and processed in the United States, Australia, Singapore, European Union, United Kingdom, Philippines and New Zealand.”
How Canva Protects (and Doesn’t Protect) Your Data
Canva says it uses “appropriate safeguards” and password protection, but admits it can’t guarantee total security.
If you connect Canva to other apps (like social media), your privacy also depends on those platforms’ security.
Direct quote:
“Canva cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit… or guarantee that information on the Service may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed.”
Your Privacy Controls
You can:
- Edit or delete your data by emailing privacy@canva.com
- Opt out of marketing emails
- Manage cookie tracking in your browser
- Control AI training and third-party enrichment in privacy settings
Direct quote:
“You can manage the privacy preferences available to you by visiting the privacy settings page and updating your preferences at any time.”
How Long Canva Keeps Your Data
Even after you delete your account, Canva keeps your profile info and designs for a “commercially reasonable time.” That’s vague, but likely months or even years for legal and backup reasons.
Direct quote:
“Following termination or deactivation… Canva will retain your profile information and User Content for a commercially reasonable time.”
Your Rights (Europe & U.S.)
If you live in the EU, UK, or U.S. states like California or Virginia, you have the right to:
- Access and correct your data
- Request deletion
- Opt out of data “sharing” for ads
- Object to data processing
To exercise these rights, email privacy@canva.com or use their in-app forms.
The Big Picture
Canva doesn’t hide that it collects and uses your data, but like most platforms, it weaves personal information deeply into its product and AI systems.
Here’s the tradeoff:
You get smart design tools, AI features, and personalized templates, but Canva gets a continuous stream of behavioral and creative data to refine its algorithms and marketing.
If that balance feels fair to you, fine. If not, tweak your settings, use privacy-friendly browsers, and maybe keep your more sensitive designs offline.
Final Takeaway
Canva doesn’t sell your data, but it uses it extensively, for improvement, personalization, and AI. It’s not evil, just data-hungry. And like every creative tool, it gives you both power and exposure.
“We care about the safety of your data… but unfortunately we can’t guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen to it.”
At least they’re honest about that.