Character.AI

AI chatbot platform for creating and chatting with AI characters

Lumo (Proton)

Privacy-first AI assistant from the makers of ProtonMail, with Swiss jurisdiction and zero-access encryption

Character.AI

Caution

9/25

Lumo (Proton)

Excellent

23/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionCharacter.AILumo (Proton)

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Character.AI: All data hosted on US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. No regional hosting controls offered.

Lumo (Proton): Data hosted in Proton's own data centres in Germany and Norway. Zero-access encryption means even Proton cannot read conversation content. No US infrastructure dependency.

2/5

All data hosted on US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. No regional hosting controls offered.

5/5

Data hosted in Proton's own data centres in Germany and Norway. Zero-access encryption means even Proton cannot read conversation content. No US infrastructure dependency.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Character.AI: US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. No EU legal entity. Standard US privacy policy without GDPR-specific DPA.

Lumo (Proton): Swiss incorporation provides one of the strongest privacy jurisdictions globally. Outside US CLOUD Act reach. Swiss FADP and GDPR adequacy. Proton has a decade-long track record of defending user privacy.

2/5

US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. No EU legal entity. Standard US privacy policy without GDPR-specific DPA.

5/5

Swiss incorporation provides one of the strongest privacy jurisdictions globally. Outside US CLOUD Act reach. Swiss FADP and GDPR adequacy. Proton has a decade-long track record of defending user privacy.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Character.AI: Conversations are retained and used for model training. Limited transparency on retention periods. No enterprise data deletion controls.

Lumo (Proton): Zero-access encryption on conversations. User data explicitly never used for model training. Open-source code enables independent verification of privacy claims.

2/5

Conversations are retained and used for model training. Limited transparency on retention periods. No enterprise data deletion controls.

5/5

Zero-access encryption on conversations. User data explicitly never used for model training. Open-source code enables independent verification of privacy claims.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Character.AI: No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other compliance certifications publicly disclosed. Consumer-focused platform without enterprise security certifications.

Lumo (Proton): ISO 27001 and SOC 2 at Proton AG organisational level. Strong for a consumer-facing privacy product. ISO 27701 would further strengthen the posture.

2/5

No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other compliance certifications publicly disclosed. Consumer-focused platform without enterprise security certifications.

4/5

ISO 27001 and SOC 2 at Proton AG organisational level. Strong for a consumer-facing privacy product. ISO 27701 would further strengthen the posture.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Character.AI: Consumer entertainment platform. Not designed for regulated industries. No enterprise compliance features, DPAs, or audit capabilities. Not suitable for handling sensitive or regulated data.

Lumo (Proton): Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive professionals in legal and financial services. Swiss jurisdiction, zero-access encryption, and no training on user data address key regulatory concerns. Not EU-incorporated but GDPR adequate.

1/5

Consumer entertainment platform. Not designed for regulated industries. No enterprise compliance features, DPAs, or audit capabilities. Not suitable for handling sensitive or regulated data.

4/5

Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive professionals in legal and financial services. Swiss jurisdiction, zero-access encryption, and no training on user data address key regulatory concerns. Not EU-incorporated but GDPR adequate.

Total Score

9/25

23/25

Best For

Character.AI

Best for teams on a tight budget.

Lumo (Proton)

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; regulated industries (legal, financial-services); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Detailed Comparison

Character.AI vs Lumo (Proton): Trust & Compliance Comparison

Character.AI (Character.AI, US) scores 9/25 overall with a Review Required (Caution) trust badge. AI chatbot platform for creating and chatting with AI characters. Lumo (Proton) (Proton, CH) scores 23/25 with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. Privacy-first AI assistant from the makers of ProtonMail, with Swiss jurisdiction and zero-access encryption.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Lumo (Proton) leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●Character.AI (2/5): All data hosted on US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. No regional hosting controls offered.

●Lumo (Proton) (5/5): Data hosted in Proton's own data centres in Germany and Norway. Zero-access encryption means even Proton cannot read conversation content. No US infrastructure dependency.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Lumo (Proton) leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●Character.AI (2/5): US Delaware corporation. Subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. No EU legal entity. Standard US privacy policy without GDPR-specific DPA.

●Lumo (Proton) (5/5): Swiss incorporation provides one of the strongest privacy jurisdictions globally. Outside US CLOUD Act reach. Swiss FADP and GDPR adequacy. Proton has a decade-long track record of defending user privacy.

#### Data Retention & Training

Lumo (Proton) leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●Character.AI (2/5): Conversations are retained and used for model training. Limited transparency on retention periods. No enterprise data deletion controls.

●Lumo (Proton) (5/5): Zero-access encryption on conversations. User data explicitly never used for model training. Open-source code enables independent verification of privacy claims.

#### Certifications

Lumo (Proton) leads with 4/5 vs 2/5.

●Character.AI (2/5): No SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other compliance certifications publicly disclosed. Consumer-focused platform without enterprise security certifications.

●Lumo (Proton) (4/5): ISO 27001 and SOC 2 at Proton AG organisational level. Strong for a consumer-facing privacy product. ISO 27701 would further strengthen the posture.

#### Regulatory Fit

Lumo (Proton) leads with 4/5 vs 1/5.

●Character.AI (1/5): Consumer entertainment platform. Not designed for regulated industries. No enterprise compliance features, DPAs, or audit capabilities. Not suitable for handling sensitive or regulated data.

●Lumo (Proton) (4/5): Excellent fit for privacy-sensitive professionals in legal and financial services. Swiss jurisdiction, zero-access encryption, and no training on user data address key regulatory concerns. Not EU-incorporated but GDPR adequate.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Character.AI	Lumo (Proton)
ISO 27001	No	Yes
SOC 2	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Lumo (Proton) has a clear trust advantage, scoring 23/25 compared to Character.AI's 9/25. Lumo (Proton) particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention & training, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Character.AI or Lumo (Proton)?

Character.AI has a TrustKit score of 9/25 while Lumo (Proton) scores 23/25. Lumo (Proton) currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Character.AI and Lumo (Proton) compare on data residency?

Character.AI scores 2/5 for data residency (All data hosted on US-based infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. No regional hosting controls offered.), while Lumo (Proton) scores 5/5 (Data hosted in Proton's own data centres in Germany and Norway. Zero-access encryption means even Proton cannot read conversation content. No US infrastructure dependency.).

Are Character.AI and Lumo (Proton) GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Character.AI has a regulatory fit score of 1/5 and Lumo (Proton) scores 4/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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