5 Myths About AI & Photo Privacy (and the Truth)
Parents deserve clarity when it comes to AI and their child’s privacy. Let’s separate fear from fact.
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Last year, I was uploading a photo of my son blowing out birthday candles. My finger hovered over the “upload” button. I froze. Was this safe? What if his photo ended up in some database or floating around online?
If you’ve ever felt that hesitation, you’re not alone. Every parent has these worries — especially when AI is involved. The internet is filled with scary stories and half-truths, and it’s hard to know what to believe.
That’s exactly why we built Once Upon a Memory differently. We’re parents too, and we created this platform with the same safety standards we demand for our own families.
Let’s clear up the most common myths we hear — and share the truth.
Myth 1: “If I upload my child’s photo, AI companies will use it to train their models.”
You’ve probably seen this claim on social media — that any photo you upload online is gobbled up and fed into AI systems forever. It’s a terrifying thought.
The Truth:
At Once Upon a Memory, your child’s photos are never used to train AI models. Everything runs in secure, enterprise-grade AI accounts that keep your data isolated. Nothing leaves our environment. Your photos exist for one purpose only: to create your personalized book.
Think of it like handing a photo to a local printer — it’s used to make your order, not stored for future use.
Myth 2: “Once I upload a photo, it’s on the internet forever.”
This is the internet fear we’ve all lived with: once something is uploaded, it’s there forever.
The Truth:
With Once Upon a Memory, storage is temporary and fully under your control. We keep your photos only long enough to create your storybook. After that, you can delete them anytime with a single click.
It’s no different than printing photos at Walgreens or CVS: the images are handled safely for your order, then they’re gone.
Myth 3: “AI isn’t safe for children’s content.”
AI is new, and anything new feels risky — especially when it involves our kids. It’s natural to worry that AI and children don’t mix.
The Truth:
AI is simply a tool. What matters is how it’s used. We built Once Upon a Memory to be safe for families from day one. That means:
Enterprise-grade security (the same level used by major tech companies).
No training on your photos.
Guardrails in place so content is appropriate, private, and family-friendly.
We use AI to make something magical — not to compromise safety.
Myth 4: “Hackers could easily get access to my child’s photos.”
We’ve all read those headlines about data breaches. It’s a valid fear — no parent wants their child’s face exposed to strangers.
The Truth:
Every photo you upload is encrypted from the start. We run on locked-down, enterprise-level AI environments with strict access controls. Your photos aren’t floating around the internet; they’re secured with the same standards banks and hospitals use.
Myth 5: “The company might secretly sell or share my child’s data.”
Sadly, this is a real issue in tech. Some companies make money by selling data behind the scenes. Parents are right to be skeptical.
The Truth:
We don’t sell, share, or monetize your data. Period. We’re parents ourselves — and if we wouldn’t feel safe uploading our own kids’ photos, we wouldn’t ask you to. We built Once Upon a Memory to preserve childhood magic, not to profit from your trust.
Why This Matters To Us Personally
This isn’t just business for us. We have kids too, and we make these storybooks for our own families. Every safety measure we’ve put in place, we built because it’s exactly what we’d want for our children.
That means:
Your data stays yours.
Your photos never train AI.
You decide what stays and what goes.
Closing: Safe. Private. Magical.
Your child’s stories should bring joy, not anxiety. That’s why we’ve built Once Upon a Memory around one simple idea: magic without compromise.
✨ Safe.
✨ Private.
✨ Magical.
Last year, I was uploading a photo of my son blowing out birthday candles. My finger hovered over the “upload” button. I froze. Was this safe? What if his photo ended up in some database or floating around online?
If you’ve ever felt that hesitation, you’re not alone. Every parent has these worries — especially when AI is involved. The internet is filled with scary stories and half-truths, and it’s hard to know what to believe.
That’s exactly why we built Once Upon a Memory differently. We’re parents too, and we created this platform with the same safety standards we demand for our own families.
Let’s clear up the most common myths we hear — and share the truth.
Myth 1: “If I upload my child’s photo, AI companies will use it to train their models.”
You’ve probably seen this claim on social media — that any photo you upload online is gobbled up and fed into AI systems forever. It’s a terrifying thought.
The Truth:
At Once Upon a Memory, your child’s photos are never used to train AI models. Everything runs in secure, enterprise-grade AI accounts that keep your data isolated. Nothing leaves our environment. Your photos exist for one purpose only: to create your personalized book.
Think of it like handing a photo to a local printer — it’s used to make your order, not stored for future use.
Myth 2: “Once I upload a photo, it’s on the internet forever.”
This is the internet fear we’ve all lived with: once something is uploaded, it’s there forever.
The Truth:
With Once Upon a Memory, storage is temporary and fully under your control. We keep your photos only long enough to create your storybook. After that, you can delete them anytime with a single click.
It’s no different than printing photos at Walgreens or CVS: the images are handled safely for your order, then they’re gone.
Myth 3: “AI isn’t safe for children’s content.”
AI is new, and anything new feels risky — especially when it involves our kids. It’s natural to worry that AI and children don’t mix.
The Truth:
AI is simply a tool. What matters is how it’s used. We built Once Upon a Memory to be safe for families from day one. That means:
Enterprise-grade security (the same level used by major tech companies).
No training on your photos.
Guardrails in place so content is appropriate, private, and family-friendly.
We use AI to make something magical — not to compromise safety.
Myth 4: “Hackers could easily get access to my child’s photos.”
We’ve all read those headlines about data breaches. It’s a valid fear — no parent wants their child’s face exposed to strangers.
The Truth:
Every photo you upload is encrypted from the start. We run on locked-down, enterprise-level AI environments with strict access controls. Your photos aren’t floating around the internet; they’re secured with the same standards banks and hospitals use.
Myth 5: “The company might secretly sell or share my child’s data.”
Sadly, this is a real issue in tech. Some companies make money by selling data behind the scenes. Parents are right to be skeptical.
The Truth:
We don’t sell, share, or monetize your data. Period. We’re parents ourselves — and if we wouldn’t feel safe uploading our own kids’ photos, we wouldn’t ask you to. We built Once Upon a Memory to preserve childhood magic, not to profit from your trust.
Why This Matters To Us Personally
This isn’t just business for us. We have kids too, and we make these storybooks for our own families. Every safety measure we’ve put in place, we built because it’s exactly what we’d want for our children.
That means:
Your data stays yours.
Your photos never train AI.
You decide what stays and what goes.
Closing: Safe. Private. Magical.
Your child’s stories should bring joy, not anxiety. That’s why we’ve built Once Upon a Memory around one simple idea: magic without compromise.
✨ Safe.
✨ Private.
✨ Magical.
Last year, I was uploading a photo of my son blowing out birthday candles. My finger hovered over the “upload” button. I froze. Was this safe? What if his photo ended up in some database or floating around online?
If you’ve ever felt that hesitation, you’re not alone. Every parent has these worries — especially when AI is involved. The internet is filled with scary stories and half-truths, and it’s hard to know what to believe.
That’s exactly why we built Once Upon a Memory differently. We’re parents too, and we created this platform with the same safety standards we demand for our own families.
Let’s clear up the most common myths we hear — and share the truth.
Myth 1: “If I upload my child’s photo, AI companies will use it to train their models.”
You’ve probably seen this claim on social media — that any photo you upload online is gobbled up and fed into AI systems forever. It’s a terrifying thought.
The Truth:
At Once Upon a Memory, your child’s photos are never used to train AI models. Everything runs in secure, enterprise-grade AI accounts that keep your data isolated. Nothing leaves our environment. Your photos exist for one purpose only: to create your personalized book.
Think of it like handing a photo to a local printer — it’s used to make your order, not stored for future use.
Myth 2: “Once I upload a photo, it’s on the internet forever.”
This is the internet fear we’ve all lived with: once something is uploaded, it’s there forever.
The Truth:
With Once Upon a Memory, storage is temporary and fully under your control. We keep your photos only long enough to create your storybook. After that, you can delete them anytime with a single click.
It’s no different than printing photos at Walgreens or CVS: the images are handled safely for your order, then they’re gone.
Myth 3: “AI isn’t safe for children’s content.”
AI is new, and anything new feels risky — especially when it involves our kids. It’s natural to worry that AI and children don’t mix.
The Truth:
AI is simply a tool. What matters is how it’s used. We built Once Upon a Memory to be safe for families from day one. That means:
Enterprise-grade security (the same level used by major tech companies).
No training on your photos.
Guardrails in place so content is appropriate, private, and family-friendly.
We use AI to make something magical — not to compromise safety.
Myth 4: “Hackers could easily get access to my child’s photos.”
We’ve all read those headlines about data breaches. It’s a valid fear — no parent wants their child’s face exposed to strangers.
The Truth:
Every photo you upload is encrypted from the start. We run on locked-down, enterprise-level AI environments with strict access controls. Your photos aren’t floating around the internet; they’re secured with the same standards banks and hospitals use.
Myth 5: “The company might secretly sell or share my child’s data.”
Sadly, this is a real issue in tech. Some companies make money by selling data behind the scenes. Parents are right to be skeptical.
The Truth:
We don’t sell, share, or monetize your data. Period. We’re parents ourselves — and if we wouldn’t feel safe uploading our own kids’ photos, we wouldn’t ask you to. We built Once Upon a Memory to preserve childhood magic, not to profit from your trust.
Why This Matters To Us Personally
This isn’t just business for us. We have kids too, and we make these storybooks for our own families. Every safety measure we’ve put in place, we built because it’s exactly what we’d want for our children.
That means:
Your data stays yours.
Your photos never train AI.
You decide what stays and what goes.
Closing: Safe. Private. Magical.
Your child’s stories should bring joy, not anxiety. That’s why we’ve built Once Upon a Memory around one simple idea: magic without compromise.
✨ Safe.
✨ Private.
✨ Magical.
