We take privacy and legal compliance seriously at Ko-fi. If you're a law enforcement agent seeking information about a user, please follow the steps below.

How to Submit a Legal Request

1. Fill in our form here.
2. In the 'Query Type' field, select 'Request from law enforcement' (under 'Policies & Requests').

Ko-fi and Know Your Customer (KYC) Information

Unlike many other platforms, Ko-fi does not process payments directly. Instead, the supporter (buyer) pays the creator (seller) directly through the creator’s own Stripe or PayPal. As a result, Ko-fi is not responsible for collecting Know Your Customer (KYC) information. We do collect some basic details during a user’s interaction with Ko-fi, but please be aware that most financial or identity data is held by payment processors, not Ko-fi.

Notification of the User

When submitting your request, please specify whether Ko-fi should notify the user. Unless instructed otherwise, we are legally obliged to inform the user about your request. Be sure to clearly indicate if you do not want the user to be notified.

Requesting Account Action (Suspension or Ban)

If your request includes asking Ko-fi to suspend or ban a user, please note that this action will automatically trigger a notification to the user. If you have issued a non-disclosure instruction, please consider whether this conflicts with the notification process. You must provide clear guidance on whether the user should be notified or not to avoid any unintended conflicts.

Pre-existing Suspensions or Bans

In some cases, a user’s account may already be suspended or banned prior to your request. If this is the case, we will inform you during our correspondence so you can decide whether further action is necessary.

Emergency Requests

If your request is urgent and involves life-threatening circumstances, please mention this clearly in your submission. Our team prioritises emergency requests for quicker processing.

What Happens Next?

Once we receive your completed form, we’ll review the request. We may follow up for more information to ensure compliance with legal requirements. After verifying your request, we will provide any legally required user information.