Alteration of WeTransfer's Stealthy Operations Unveiled
In a significant move, file-transfer service WeTransfer has made changes to its terms of service following a public backlash over potential AI usage and data handling. The updates, announced on July 15, 2025, come after the company's acquisition by Italian app developer Bending Spoons in August 2024.
Initially, the updated terms, set to take effect on August 8, 2025, contained a clause that allowed WeTransfer to use uploaded files to improve machine learning models. This was interpreted by users worldwide as a permission to use private files for training AI, causing widespread outrage.
In response, WeTransfer clarified and revised the language. They now explicitly state that WeTransfer does not use uploaded content for AI training nor sell data to third parties. Instead, the updated clause grants WeTransfer a royalty-free license to use uploaded content only for operating, developing, and improving the Service, without specific reference to AI or machine learning.
The company emphasized that the original AI-related clause was intended only to allow potential use of AI tools to improve content moderation and limit harmful content, not for broad data exploitation.
Regarding the subscription model, the terms now allow for automatic renewal of subscriptions, although no major changes or restructuring announcements are evident. As for restructuring, no detailed announcements or updates have been found in the terms or reports since the acquisition.
Other changes include an increase in the maximum file size for free users to 3 GB, a significant reduction in the number of free transfers to ten per month, and the removal of the controversial clause that allowed for the resale of content to AI companies.
WeTransfer's current terms reflect a recalibration in response to user privacy concerns, with an emphasis on transparency about AI and data usage while maintaining their subscription services framework. The company has made it clear that users retain ownership of their content, and all rights, including intellectual property rights, remain with the users or their licensors.
These changes mark a significant step for WeTransfer, demonstrating their commitment to addressing user concerns and maintaining trust in their service.
In light of the company's acquisition by Bending Spoons, WeTransfer has amended its terms of service following public outcry over potential AI usage and data handling. The revised terms state that WeTransfer does not use uploaded content for AI training nor sell data to third parties, instead only using content for operating, developing, and improving the service, distancing itself from broad data exploitation. Additionally, the business has introduced changes to its subscription model, allowing for automatic renewal, but no major changes or restructuring announcements are evident yet.
