Wetransferthe file transfer service has lit a new controversy after discreetly modifying its terms of use. The change included a clause that allowed the company use files up by users to improve systems artificial intelligencesomething that many users have interpreted as an open door to train models without explicit consent or compensation.

Although Wetransfer has reacted that part of its conditions, the reputational damage is made. The public reaction has been immediate and forceful, especially between creative professionals That, for years, they have trusted the platform for their focus on privacy and respect for the user.

What exactly changed?

As of August 8, Wetransfer He planned to apply new terms of service granted to the company a perpetual license and free of rights To use the content uploaded by users. This license expressly included the possibility of using the files for the purpose of “Improve Machine Learning models for content moderation.”

He ambiguous text language It was what generated the alarm. Figures such as children’s book Sarah McIntyre or comedian Matt Lieb publicly expressed concern about the possibility that her works and work could be used – or even sold – to train artificial intelligence, without having authorized or received any compensation.

Wetransfer’s response

The company reacted quickly by publishing a statement to clarify that it does not use user files to train AI or sell them or share them with third parties. As explained, they had simply considered The future use of artificial intelligence to improve content moderation systemsbut that technology “It has not been developed or implemented”.

Wetransfer also updated its terms of service, eliminating all mention to Machine Learning. The new version establishes that users grant a free royalty license only for Improve the service. “From your comments, we understood that it could not be clear that you keep the property and control of your content. We have updated the terms so that they are easier to understand. We also eliminate the mention of the Machine Learning, since it is not something that Wetransfer uses in relation to the content of the users and could have generated concern”They explain from the company in the statement issued after the crisis unleashed.

However, for many users, Trust has already been touched.

Wetransfer is not the first company that generates controversy in this field. Zoom, Slack, Dropbox and other companies in the digital environment have also had to publicly rectify or clarify their data use policies after receiving similar criticism due to growing concern about Copyright, consent and control in the era of artificial intelligence.

In the case of Wetransfer, the impact has been especially sensitive because the company has built its image around privacy and respect for creators. That’s why, The use of lazy language And such a broad license has been seen by many as a betrayal of those principles. Freelancers, visual artists and writers have been the first to express their indignation, worried about the possibility that their works will end up being used as training material for algorithms.

And although The company has apologized publicly In social networks such as X (previously Twitter) many users point out that the movement has found a “probe balloon”: try how far they could go with more permissive terms, receive a massive negative reaction and, finally, backward.

The final summary of the company before this crisis is as follows:

• Yes – Your content is always yours
• Yes – You are giving us permission to operate and improve the service properly
• Yes – Our terms comply with privacy laws, including RGPD
• No – We do not use your content to train AI models
• No – We do not sell your content to third parties

But as the development of artificial intelligence Advanza, the user data has become the new fuel and the pressure to access large volumes of content to train models is in full growth. In this context, the relationship between users and technological platforms is increasingly mediated by suspicion, especially when it comes to personal or creative content.