Every AI tool you use has a data collection policy. Most of them changed that policy in 2025. The direction was the same across all of them: from "we don't use your data" to "we do, unless you tell us not to."
The opt-outs exist. But you have to know where to look — and for most tools, "where to look" is buried three menus deep in a settings page most people have never opened.
This guide tells you exactly where.
I'm a senior cybersecurity professional with 30 years of experience auditing security systems for major organizations. I'm also a photographer. I built this guide because I got tired of watching artists send client work, project briefs, and unreleased creative content through AI tools without knowing those tools were keeping it.
Here's what's inside:
Nine AI tools covered: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, Microsoft Copilot, Notion AI, Midjourney, and Runway ML.
For each tool: what it's actually doing with your data, why it matters specifically for artists, and the exact step-by-step path to the opt-out — with screenshots.
Plus the AI Privacy Scorecard: a pre-filled reference table comparing all nine tools on the same criteria, a personal audit worksheet to log your own settings, and a master checklist so nothing gets missed.
A few things I found that you won't expect: Canva has a session recording toggle that most users have never seen. Copilot on Windows can continuously view your screen. Runway ML has no opt-out at all on consumer plans — your footage trains their model. Notion AI is the one exception that's actually doing it right.
Policies verified April 2026. Subscribe to Essential Risk Management for updates when they change.
Nine dollars. One hour. You'll know exactly where your work is going.