WeTransfer Confirms Files Not Used to Train AI Models Following Criticism, Updates Terms of Service

WeTransfer has issued a clarification that it’ll not use recordsdata uploaded by customers to prepare synthetic intelligence fashions, after customers criticised the corporate’s adjustments to its phrases of service. Earlier this month, the file switch service up to date its phrases of service to state that WeTransfer may use AI to enhance its content material moderation and “reproduce, distribute, modify” customers recordsdata that had been uploaded on the platform. WeTransfer says it has made adjustments to its phrases once more, eradicating references to the use of machine studying.

WeTransfer Says It Does not Sell User Content to Third Parties

In a weblog submit on Tuesday, the platform tried to make clear its up to date phrases of service which are set to come into impact on August 8. At the time, part 6.3 of the doc said that WeTransfer customers granted the corporate a “perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable license” that will be used to function, develop, commercialise, and enhance the file switch service.

The amended model of WeTransfer’s phrases of service (removals in purple)

However, the up to date phrases of service additionally said the license would enable the corporate to “reproduce, distribute, modify, prepare derivative works based upon, broadcast, communicate to the public, publicly display, and perform” unique content material uploaded by customers to the platform. Meanwhile, the corporate wouldn’t be required to compensate creators for the use of the content material, as described within the phrases of service.

Several WeTransfer clients, together with content material creators and inventive professionals, expressed concern in regards to the modified phrases, and a few stated they’d cease utilizing the service. Following consumer backlash, the corporate defined in its weblog submit that part 6.2 of its phrases of service (Ownership of Content) states that it would not declare possession rights over consumer content material. The service additionally said that every one “right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights” are held by the creator of the content material and their licensors.

Meanwhile, the corporate has modified part 6.3 of its phrases of service, eradicating mentions of commercialising content material and coaching machine studying fashions. It additionally deleted the portion that allowed the corporate to modify or reuse consumer content material with out compensating creators.

WeTransfer says that dealing with of content material stays unchanged on the platform, even after the brand new phrases of service come into impact subsequent month. The platform says the portion of the phrases that talked about machine studying was due to the “possibility of using AI to improve content moderation”, but added that such a feature does not exist at the moment.

While the company was forced into a climbdown due to user backlash following changes to its terms of service, the issue highlights how online platforms can quickly get access to user data by modifying their terms of service. Companies like Dropbox and Adobe had to issue clarifications in 2023 and 2024, respectively, with regard to accessing user content.