Every prompt you type, image you upload and clip you generate on a hosted AI service is data. For many people that is fine. For confidential client work, personal projects or anything involving real people’s photos, it deserves more thought. This guide explains what AI video tools typically collect and practical steps to protect your privacy and the privacy of others.
What hosted services may collect
- Prompts and negative prompts, including any names, places or details you mention.
- Uploaded images and videos used as references or inputs.
- Generated outputs, often stored in your account history.
- Account and payment information.
- Usage data: when and how you use the service, device information, IP address.
Depending on the service’s terms, this data may be used to improve models, shown in public galleries, reviewed by staff for safety or shared with service providers.
Read the privacy policy for these points
- Are prompts, uploads and outputs used to train models? Is there an opt-out?
- Are generations public by default? Is there a private mode?
- How long is data retained, and can you delete it?
- Who can access your data, including staff and partners?
- Where is data stored, and which laws apply?
Business or enterprise plans often have stronger privacy terms, such as no training on your data. If you work under NDAs, check that the plan you use matches your obligations.
Practical steps on hosted tools
- switch on private mode and training opt-outs where available;
- avoid putting confidential names, unreleased product details or personal information in prompts;
- delete generation history and uploads you no longer need;
- use a separate account for client work if you share a device or team;
- enable two-factor authentication and use a unique password.
Local generation: the privacy option
Running open models on your own computer keeps prompts, inputs and outputs on your hardware. Nothing is uploaded unless you choose to. For sensitive projects, this is the strongest option. See Running an AI Video Model Locally. Rented GPUs are a middle ground: you control the software, but the hardware belongs to the provider, so delete data when finished and use trusted providers.
Handling other people’s images
Photos of other people deserve special care:
- only upload images of people who have agreed to that use;
- never upload photos of children to public services for experimentation;
- store reference photos securely and delete them when the project ends;
- do not share workflows or files that contain other people’s photos.
Uploading a friend’s photo to an online tool may give that service rights to process and store it. Your friend did not agree to those terms.
Metadata in your files
Generated files may contain metadata: the full prompt, settings, workflow, software name and sometimes file paths from your computer. Before sharing files publicly:
- check what metadata your tools embed;
- remove prompts or paths that reveal private information;
- keep provenance information such as content credentials where it supports honest labelling, but strip personal details.
Also be mindful of location data in photos used as references.
Voice and face data
Creating a personal avatar or voice clone means giving a service highly sensitive biometric-like data. Before doing so, check:
- whether you can delete the avatar or voice model later;
- whether the service may use it for any other purpose;
- how it prevents others from using your likeness;
- what happens to your data if the company is sold or closes.
Security basics
Privacy depends on security. Keep your operating system, browser and AI tools updated, avoid unofficial apps and plugins, do not expose local AI interfaces to the internet, and back up your work securely. See Keeping Your Local AI Video Setup Safe.
Cloud sync and shared drives
Automatic sync services can upload output folders and reference images without you noticing. Exclude sensitive project folders from sync, or encrypt them. On shared team drives, set permissions so only the people working on a project can see its materials.
Client projects checklist
- Does the client allow AI tools, and which ones?
- Are confidential materials processed locally or on a plan with no-training terms?
- Are outputs and references deleted from services after delivery?
- Is access to project files limited to the people who need it?
- Is the privacy approach documented in your agreement?
Privacy for your audience
Privacy also applies to the people who watch and interact with your work. If you collect emails, run comment sections or use analytics on a website showcasing your videos, follow applicable privacy laws, publish a clear privacy policy and collect only what you need. Respecting your audience’s privacy is part of the same trust that makes your work worth watching.
A privacy example
A small agency is producing a launch video for a client’s unreleased smartphone. The product photos are under NDA. Instead of uploading them to a public web generator, the team runs an open model on a workstation in the office. Reference images stay on an encrypted project drive, excluded from cloud sync. Prompts avoid the product’s code name. After delivery, drafts are archived offline and the working folder is deleted. The client’s secret stays secret, and the agency can confirm exactly where the material has been.
A five-minute privacy routine
- Before starting a project, decide whether it can use hosted tools or must stay local.
- Turn on private mode and training opt-outs on any hosted service you use.
- Keep reference images in one project folder, not scattered across downloads.
- Clear service history and uploads when the project ends.
- Strip personal metadata from files before posting publicly.
Frequently asked questions
Are my prompts private on AI video websites?
Not necessarily. Check whether generations are public and whether data is used for training. Assume anything you type may be stored.
Is local generation completely private?
Generation itself stays on your machine, but downloads, updates, sync services and sharing can still expose data.
Can I ask a service to delete my data?
Many services provide deletion tools, and privacy laws in some regions give you a right to request deletion.
