Data & Privacy

  • How we protect your data

    When you use Whatnot, you trust us with your information. We treat that seriously and would never sell your data. We protect it with technical and organizational safeguards, and you can delete your account whenever you choose.

  • What we collect and why

    • Account information: Your name, email, address, phone number, and password when you sign up. We use these to create your account, keep it secure, send you order updates, and reach you when something needs your attention.

    • Identity verification: Before sellers can go live, they verify their identity through our partner Stripe and provide additional information like tax ID and date of birth. This helps us confirm sellers are who they say they are, support payments and tax reporting, prevent fraud, and meet marketplace compliance obligations.

    • Payment and shipping information: Card details, billing address, and delivery address. Our payment processors handle the card details directly, so full card numbers are never stored on Whatnot's servers.

    • Activity on Whatnot: The shows you watch, the items you bid on, the messages you send. This powers your feed, surfaces shows you'll like, and helps us spot patterns that point to fraud or abuse.

    • Device and technical information: IP address, device type, app version. These keep your account secure and the app running.

  • How we use data

    We use it to process your orders, recommend shows, verify sellers, detect suspicious activity, comply with tax and consumer protection rules, and respond to lawful requests from regulators or courts.

  • Your controls

    You control a lot of what happens with your data. From your account settings, you can:

    • Review and update your personal information

    • Manage notification and marketing preferences

    • Delete your account

  • How we protect your data

    We protect your information with a combination of technical and organizational safeguards, restrict access based on what employees actually need to do their jobs, and run regular security reviews of our systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. Whatnot doesn't sell your personal data. Under California law, some advertising activity counts as "sharing" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising – California residents can opt out anytime using the "Do Not Share My Personal Information" link in our Services. Users in other regions may be able to limit certain advertising or tracking through their browser cookie settings or mobile device settings.

  • You can delete your account anytime from your account settings on the web or in the app. Instructions can be found here. When you delete your account, we remove your personal information except where we have an ongoing legal or business need – for example, tax, accounting, fraud prevention, or active disputes.

  • Stripe, our payment processor, handles your full card information. Whatnot stores limited details like the last four digits so you can recognize your saved card at checkout, but the full card number is never on Whatnot's servers.

  • We respond to valid legal requests from law enforcement and comply with our obligations under applicable law. We review each request and share what's appropriate.

  • Whatnot operates globally, and your data may be processed in countries other than where you live, including the United States. When that happens, we use appropriate safeguards to protect your information.

  • Email privacy@whatnot.com for any data-related question or request. European users can also reach our Data Protection Officer at DPO@whatnot.com.