Does WeTransfer Use Your Content to Train Its AI?

Perhaps the most serious user privacy problem of our time is, of course, artificial intelligence. AI models have an insatiable thirst for data, because the only way to improve them is to feed them new, high-quality information. So the companies that develop these models turn to the most convenient pool of data they have access to —what, unfortunately, belongs to their own users.

WeTransfer is the latest company to come under fire for this practice. You may have seen the reasoning before. On social media sites like Bluesky, angry WeTransfer users are criticizing the company for recent changes to its terms of service. It’s not hard to see why: The wording of the new terms seems to make it clear that the company reserves the right to use your content to improve its AI models.

“You hereby grant us a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, and sublicensable license to use your Content for the purpose of… improving the Service or new technologies or services, including to improve the performance of machine learning models that improve our content moderation process .” There are few other ways to interpret this provision.

Wetransfer changes its melody

However, it appears we have “misread” the situation. A WeTransfer spokeswoman told BBC News , “We do not use machine learning or any form of artificial intelligence to process content distributed through WeTransfer, and we do not sell content or data to third parties.” WeTransfer argues that the language in its new terms of service should have “included the ability to use AI to improve content moderation” and identify “harmful content.” Sure, Jan.

Following the backlash, the company changed its terminology and “made it clearer.” This likely means removing all references to using your content to train AI models, as that terminology no longer exists.

In addition to using AI, the original terms also appeared to grant WeTransfer the right to do whatever it wants with your content. “This license includes the right to reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, broadcast, communicate to the public, publicly display, and perform the Content. You will not be entitled to compensation for any use by us of the Content under these Terms.” That language was also changed to read: “You hereby grant us a royalty-free license to use your Content for the purpose of operating, developing, and improving the Service, in accordance with our Privacy and Cookie Policy .”

Interestingly, the original wording regarding licensing (but not AI training) appears in relation to the feedback you can provide to WeTransfer. (Sure, WeTransfer, take a free license and do whatever you want with my feedback, without expecting any compensation. Just don’t use my content to train your crappy AI.)

WeTransfer’s new terms go into effect on August 8, unless you are a “new user.” Time will tell how many users, old and new, decide to abandon WeTransfer due to the scandal.

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