Break the Worry into Four Separate Questions
"Is it really okay to upload my child's drawing to an AI service?" sounds like one question, but it is four. Each has a different answer, so it helps to take them one at a time.
- Where does the uploaded image actually go?
- Could it end up as AI training data?
- Can anyone else see it, or will it be published?
- Who owns the copyright in the drawing?
1. Where the Image Goes
Most services that generate images with AI do not do all the processing on their own servers. They send the image to an external AI provider's API and receive the result back. So the question is never only "do I trust this website" — it is also "who else touches the file."
Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission issued guidance in June 2023 noting that if information entered into a generative AI service is handled for any purpose other than producing the response, that can amount to a breach of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (source: Personal Information Protection Commission, notice on the use of generative AI services). The regulator differs from country to country, but the underlying point does not: knowing the destination and the purpose is part of using a service responsibly.
With Figmee, uploaded images are handled as follows (Privacy Policy, Articles 4 and 5).
| Processing step | Country of the subcontractor |
|---|---|
| Image feature analysis and figurine-style image generation | United States |
| 3D model data generation (when purchased) | China |
Only image data is sent to those overseas subcontractors. Information that directly identifies a person, such as an email address, is not included. If you are curious about the pipeline itself, How figurine-style 3D models are made walks through the steps.
2. Whether It Is Used for Training
This is where terms of service differ the most. For Figmee, the terms of the subcontracted services confirm that data sent through the API is not used to train models (Privacy Policy, Article 4).
What you are looking for is an explicit sentence saying data is not used for training. If no such sentence exists, the safe reading is not "they don't" but "they have not committed either way."
3. Visibility and Retention
| Item | How Figmee handles it |
|---|---|
| Who can see the image | Private. It becomes visible only if you deliberately publish it with the share feature |
| Sale or lending to third parties | Never done |
| Retention of images and 3D models | Until the account is deleted, at which point they are erased |
| Access logs | Up to 90 days |
| Transmission | Encrypted with SSL/TLS |
| How to delete | Delete the account from settings. Requests for disclosure, correction and suspension of use are also possible |
(Source: Privacy Policy, Articles 4, 7, 10 and 11.)
Personal information is not knowingly collected from children under 16. Where a child under 16 uses the service, guardian consent is a precondition.
If you are in the EU or the UK, the GDPR additionally gives you a right of access to your personal data (Article 15) and a right to erasure (Article 17), which you can exercise against a controller processing that data (source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, EUR-Lex).
A Checklist for Choosing Any Service
Whether or not you use Figmee, these six checks tell you most of what you need to know before uploading anything.
- Are the recipients of the data — subcontractors and their countries — named in the privacy policy?
- Is there an explicit statement that data is not used for training?
- Is a retention period stated?
- Is the deletion route described, and does deleting the account really erase the files?
- Is the default visibility private?
- Do the company name, address and contact point actually exist and check out?
Practical Points Before You Upload
- Look for name tags, school names and addresses in the frame. A name written in the corner of the drawing can simply be cropped out.
- You do not need a photo of the child. The drawing alone is enough.
- Check the default sharing setting. Some services publish results to a public gallery by design.
- Some content will be refused. Sexual or violent depictions, and material that infringes someone else's rights, may be blocked automatically by the external AI provider's safety systems (Terms of Service, Article 4).
4. What Happens to the Copyright
The copyright belongs to whoever drew it
Copyright arises automatically the moment a work is created; no registration or other formality is required. This is not a quirk of one country — Article 5(2) of the Berne Convention, which more than 180 states have joined, requires that the enjoyment and exercise of these rights not be subject to any formality (source: Berne Convention, WIPO Lex). Japanese copyright law states the same rule in Article 17(2) (source: Japanese Law Translation Database).
There is no minimum age either. A scribble drawn by a two-year-old carries copyright, and the author is that child. While the child is a minor, a guardian manages the rights in practice.
Uploading does not transfer anything
Uploading an image to a service does not move the copyright to the operator. Under Japanese copyright law, copying for use inside the home or an equally limited circle is permitted as private-use copying (Article 30), which covers a gift for the family or something you enjoy at home. Most countries have a comparable private-copying or fair-dealing exception, but the boundaries differ — if you plan anything beyond family use, check the rule where you live.
Cases that need more care
- Drawings of anime or game characters. Enjoying them at home is one thing; posting them publicly or selling them needs the rights holder's permission. Merchandising original characters and copyright covers where the line sits.
- Anything you want to sell. That goes beyond private use in any jurisdiction.
- Collaborative artwork. Other children hold rights in it too, so publishing needs their families' agreement.
For the AI-specific questions, Safety and copyright when creating original figurine-style models with AI goes deeper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I delete a drawing after I have uploaded it?
A. Deleting your account erases the associated images and generated files. You can also submit individual requests for disclosure, correction or suspension of use through the contact form.
Summary
Safety is not decided by whether something is "AI" or not. It is decided by whether the recipients, the training policy, the retention period, the deletion route and the default visibility are written down where you can read them. Look for those five things in the privacy policy before you upload. For the actual steps, see the Figmee how-to guide; for a comparison of conversion methods, see How to turn a child's illustration into a figurine-style 3D model.
