Effective Date: May 16, 2025
Welcome to Graphic Novel Maker ("we," "us," "our"), accessible at https://graphic-novel-maker.web.app. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all our users. This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding information handling. While Graphic Novel Maker can be a valuable tool in educational settings for users of all ages, including those under 13, it is not directly marketed to children under 13 for unsupervised individual use. For users under 13 accessing the service through a school or educational institution, we rely on the school to obtain appropriate parental consent in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Our website allows users to create graphic novel panels by submitting text prompts to generate images using third-party Artificial Intelligence (AI) services, specifically Google Cloud's Gemini API and OpenAI's API (e.g., GPT-4o models). We strive to create a safe online environment. By using Graphic Novel Maker, you agree to the terms outlined in this policy.
Student Identification: Graphic Novel Maker requires users to provide a student ID (a 9-character alphanumeric identifier) to track usage of the application. This ID does not contain personal information as defined by COPPA and is used solely for tracking purposes. Your student ID is stored in your browser's local storage for 30 days and is associated with your image generation requests.
Personal Information: Graphic Novel Maker does not knowingly collect any personal information from users, including children under 13, unless voluntarily provided within user-generated content (i.e., text prompts). "Personal information" under COPPA includes details like full name, home address, email address, phone number, social security number, photos/videos/audio containing a child's image or voice, persistent identifiers used for tracking (like certain cookies or device IDs), or geolocation information. We do not require collection of such identifying data to use the basic functions of the site. We strongly advise all users, especially children, NEVER to enter personal information into the text prompts.
Interaction Data (Prompts and Images): When you submit a text prompt to generate an image, your input is sent to either Google Cloud's Gemini API or OpenAI's API solely for the purpose of generating the requested image within the current session. We store your scene descriptions along with your student ID to track usage patterns and help improve our service.
Our Storage: We store your student ID, scene descriptions, and information about generated images for tracking and analytics purposes. The content of your descriptions is stored to help us understand how the service is being used.
Vendor Processing: The interaction data (prompt) is processed by Google Cloud or OpenAI according to their respective data usage policies. Both vendors state that, by default, they do not use customer data submitted via their APIs to train or improve their general-purpose AI models. Data is encrypted by vendors during transit and while at rest. OpenAI may retain API data for up to 30 days solely for abuse and misuse monitoring before deletion. Please refer to their policies (Section 5) for details.
Local Storage: To enhance user experience (e.g., remembering tool settings or preferences), Graphic Novel Maker stores certain information directly in your web browser's local storage on your own device, including your student ID. This data remains on your device for 30 days and is transmitted to our servers when you generate images. You can clear local storage through your browser settings at any time, but this will require you to log in again.
Non-Personal Information: We collect non-personal information like usage statistics associated with student IDs to understand how the application is being used. This information is not linked to personally identifiable information.
Graphic Novel Maker is committed to complying with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) for users under the age of 13 in the United States. Our service is not directly marketed to children under 13 for individual, unsupervised use. We anticipate that any use of our service by children under 13 will be in an educational context, under the direction and with the authorization of their school or educational institution.
Reliance on School Consent: In accordance with COPPA, for children under 13 using Graphic Novel Maker through their school, we rely on the school to obtain verifiable parental consent. The school is responsible for providing this Privacy Policy to parents and ensuring that consent allows us to collect and use the student's information (including student ID, scene descriptions, and generated images) for educational purposes as described herein. We do not use such information for other commercial purposes, such as advertising.
Parental Rights: Parents of children under 13 whose information is collected through their school have the following rights regarding their child's personal information:
Exercising Parental Rights: To exercise these rights, parents should contact their child's school or educational institution directly. The school will then act as the intermediary to communicate these requests to us. We will work with the school to address these requests in a timely manner. Please note that a request to delete information may impact the student's ability to use certain features of the service.
Operator-Collected Information: The information we collect that may be considered personal information under COPPA when associated with a student ID includes: the student ID itself, scene descriptions or text prompts provided by the student, and any images generated from those prompts. We do not require students to provide their full name, email address, or other direct contact information to use the service.
We strongly advise all users, especially children, NEVER to enter unnecessary personal information (like full names, addresses, etc.) into text prompts. The school should also guide students on appropriate use of the text prompt feature.
We take reasonable measures to maintain the security and integrity of our website. This includes using standard secure protocols (like HTTPS) where applicable. Data sent to third-party APIs (Google Cloud, OpenAI) is subject to their security measures, including encryption. Please remember:
OpenAI: We use OpenAI's API (e.g., GPT-4o models) to generate images from your prompts. Your prompts are sent to OpenAI for processing. OpenAI has its own privacy policy and terms of service that govern how they handle the data they process through their API, including their policy of not using API data for training by default and retaining data for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring. We encourage parents and users to review OpenAI's policies. Graphic Novel Maker is not responsible for the privacy practices of OpenAI.
Google Cloud (Gemini): We use Google Cloud's Gemini API to generate images from your prompts. Your prompts are sent to Google Cloud for processing. Google Cloud has its own privacy policies and terms (including the Gemini data governance policy stating API data is not used for training ) that govern how they handle data processed through their API. We encourage parents and users to review Google's policies. Graphic Novel Maker is not responsible for the privacy practices of Google Cloud.
Other Third Parties: We do not share or sell any personal information with any other third parties, as we do not knowingly collect such information in a verifiable manner. We do not currently use third-party analytics or advertising services that would collect persistent identifiers for tracking purposes.
If you are a parent or guardian and have questions or concerns about our privacy practices or this policy, please contact us at:
acceleratorstudio@stanford.edu
We will respond to inquiries regarding privacy as promptly as possible.
Student ID: Your student ID is stored in your browser's local storage for 30 days to keep you logged in. It is also stored on our servers in association with your image generation requests for research purposes.
Scene Descriptions: Your scene descriptions are stored on our servers alongside your student ID to help us understand usage patterns.
Interaction Data (Prompts/Images): We retain your text prompts and/or the generated images on our servers after your session or the generation process for a short time to allow you to view the generated images, and allow the software to store them in your browser's local storage. Data sent to vendors is subject to their retention policies (e.g., OpenAI up to 30 days for abuse monitoring).
Local Storage: Data stored in your browser's local storage (for preferences and login) remains until you clear your browser's data or the 30-day period expires.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Effective Date" at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of Graphic Novel Maker after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the new policy.