WeTransfer modifies terms service following user backlash over AI rights

WeTransfer changed again its terms of service on July 15, 2025, removing references to machine learning and artificial intelligence after widespread criticism from users who expressed concerns about intellectual property rights. The company announced on July 1, 2025, that new terms of service would take effect on August 8, 2025, containing language that appeared to grant broad licensing permissions for content improvement and machine learning models.

According to the initial terms of service document, WeTransfer sought to grant itself "a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable license to use your Content for the purposes of operating, developing, commercializing, and improving the Service or new technologies or services, including to improve performance of machine learning models that enhance our content moderation process." The original language also specified that WeTransfer would have "the right to reproduce, distribute, modify, prepare derivative works based upon, broadcast, communicate to the public, publicly display, and perform Content."

The company's initial terms explicitly stated that users "will not be entitled to compensation for any use of Content by us under these Terms." This language appeared to grant WeTransfer extensive rights to utilize uploaded content without user compensation, particularly concerning creative professionals who frequently transfer intellectual property through the platform.

The announcement prompted immediate backlash across social media platforms, with users expressing concerns about the broad scope of the licensing language. Creative professionals, including artists, designers, and content creators, voiced particular alarm about potential unauthorized use of their intellectual property for artificial intelligence training purposes.

Legal professionals highlighted the extensive nature of the proposed licensing terms. According to commentary on LinkedIn, IP and Commercial Solicitor Ben Prangell noted that the language would allow WeTransfer to "create derivatives, reproduce etc." and warned about potential patent and confidentiality implications for users sharing technical drawings or sensitive commercial information.

Post-production professional Ashley Lynch pointed out on social media that the new terms would conflict with non-disclosure agreements that many professionals have with clients, potentially creating legal complications for users who rely on WeTransfer for business file transfers.

The controversy intensified when users discovered that the licensing terms applied broadly to all content uploaded to the platform, regardless of whether users intended to share it publicly or keep it private within their professional networks.

Company response and clarification

WeTransfer responded to the criticism on July 15, 2025, with both a blog post and updated terms of service. The company removed references to machine learning and artificial intelligence while clarifying its position on content usage and ownership.

According to the company's statement, "We don't use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer." The statement explained that the controversial language was initially included to "include the possibility of using AI to improve content moderation and further enhance our measures to prevent the distribution of illegal or harmful content on the WeTransfer platform."

WeTransfer's updated terms of service now state: "In order to allow us to operate, provide you with, and improve the Service and our technologies, we must obtain from you certain rights related to Content that is covered by intellectual property rights. You hereby grant us a royalty-free license to use your Content for the purposes of operating, developing, and improving the Service, all in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy."

The company emphasized in its response that "Your content is always your content" and referenced section 6.2 of its terms of service, which states: "We do not claim any ownership rights to the Content. You or your licensors own and retain all right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights, in and to the Content."

According to WeTransfer's clarification, the licensing language that remained in the updated terms was substantially similar to previous versions of the company's terms of service, with the controversial machine learning references representing the primary change that sparked user concerns.

The incident highlighted growing sensitivity among users about artificial intelligence training and intellectual property rights. According to the company's statement, the feature referenced in the original terms "hasn't been built or used in practice, but it was under consideration for the future."

Italian technology company Bending Spoons acquired WeTransfer in 2024, leading some users to seek alternative file transfer services.

The incident prompted WeTransfer co-founder Ronald Hans, who operates under the name Nalden, to announce a new file-sharing service called Boomerang. According to the project's website, the platform is "building a simple file-sharing service (again). One that champions creativity, not steals it."

The WeTransfer controversy reflects broader tensions in the technology industry regarding artificial intelligence development and content licensing. According to various reports, multiple companies have faced similar criticism for updating terms of service to include artificial intelligence training permissions.

The incident occurred during a period of increased scrutiny of AI training practices, with various creative industry organizations and individual creators expressing concerns about unauthorized use of their work for machine learning model development.

According to PPC Land's analysis of AI development trends, companies increasingly face challenges balancing innovation objectives with user privacy and intellectual property concerns. The platform has extensively covered similar controversies involving major technology companies and artificial intelligence training data.

WeTransfer's rapid response to user concerns demonstrates the influence of community feedback on corporate policy decisions. The company's decision to remove machine learning references and clarify its content usage policies suggests recognition of the importance of maintaining user trust, particularly among creative professionals who represent a core user demographic for file transfer services.

According to industry analysis, the incident highlights the need for transparent communication about data usage policies, especially when companies consider implementing artificial intelligence features that may affect user content. The controversy also underscores the importance of clear, accessible language in terms of service documents to prevent misunderstandings about user rights and company permissions.

Timeline

• July 1, 2025: WeTransfer announces updated terms of service with machine learning licensing language, effective August 8, 2025
• July 14-15, 2025: Users begin expressing concerns on social media platforms about intellectual property implications
• July 15, 2025: WeTransfer publishes clarification blog post and updates terms of service to remove machine learning references
• July 15, 2025: Company issues statements confirming it does not use content for AI training purposes
• July 17-18, 2025: Alternative file transfer services report increased user signups following the controversy

Key terms explained

The WeTransfer controversy highlighted several important concepts relevant to digital marketing professionals and content creators working in the modern technology landscape.

Intellectual Property Rights: These legal protections grant creators exclusive control over their original works, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. For marketing professionals, intellectual property rights determine how creative assets, brand elements, and proprietary content can be used, shared, and monetized. The WeTransfer incident demonstrated how terms of service can potentially impact these fundamental ownership rights when users upload content to third-party platforms.

Terms of Service: Legal agreements between service providers and users that outline acceptable use policies, rights, obligations, and limitations. Marketing teams must carefully review these documents when selecting platforms for content distribution, as terms of service can significantly impact how branded content and intellectual property are treated by platform providers.

Content Licensing: The legal mechanism through which content owners grant others permission to use their work under specific conditions. In digital marketing, licensing agreements determine how creative assets can be used across different platforms, campaigns, and distribution channels. Understanding licensing requirements helps marketing professionals avoid copyright infringement while maximizing content utilization.

Artificial Intelligence Training: The process of using existing data to teach machine learning models how to perform specific tasks or generate new content. Marketing professionals increasingly encounter AI training considerations when platforms seek to use uploaded content for model development, raising questions about consent, compensation, and competitive implications for brand-owned assets.

Machine Learning Models: Algorithmic systems that improve performance through experience with data rather than explicit programming. In marketing contexts, these models power personalization, content recommendation systems, advertising optimization, and automated campaign management. The WeTransfer controversy highlighted concerns about using marketing content to train competitive AI systems without explicit permission.

Content Moderation: Systematic review and filtering of user-generated content to ensure compliance with platform policies and legal requirements. Marketing teams must understand content moderation policies when planning campaigns across different platforms, as these systems can impact content visibility, distribution, and performance metrics.

File Transfer Services: Cloud-based platforms that enable users to share large files that exceed traditional email attachment limits. Marketing agencies frequently rely on these services for sharing creative assets, campaign materials, and branded content with clients and collaborators, making terms of service particularly important for protecting proprietary materials.

User-Generated Content: Content created by platform users rather than the platform owner, including social media posts, reviews, comments, and uploaded files. Marketing strategies increasingly incorporate user-generated content for authenticity and engagement, requiring careful consideration of usage rights and licensing terms to avoid legal complications.

Data Usage Policies: Guidelines that specify how platforms collect, store, process, and potentially share user information and content. Marketing professionals must evaluate these policies when selecting tools and platforms for campaign management, customer data collection, and content distribution to ensure compliance with privacy regulations and brand requirements.

Creative Professionals: Individuals and organizations who produce original content for commercial purposes, including designers, artists, videographers, writers, and marketing agencies. This demographic represents a crucial user base for file transfer services and often has heightened sensitivity to intellectual property protection due to the commercial value of their creative output.

Summary

Who: WeTransfer, a cloud-based file sharing service popular among creative professionals, faced criticism from users, legal experts, and industry observers concerned about intellectual property rights.

What: WeTransfer initially updated its terms of service to include licensing language that appeared to grant the company rights to use uploaded content for artificial intelligence training and machine learning model improvement, then subsequently removed these references following user backlash.

When: The company announced the updated terms on July 1, 2025, to take effect August 8, 2025, but modified them on July 15, 2025, after criticism intensified on social media platforms.

Where: The controversy spread across global social media platforms, professional networks, and industry publications, with particular concern expressed by creative professionals who frequently use file transfer services for intellectual property sharing.

Why: WeTransfer stated the controversial language was intended to cover potential future artificial intelligence-powered content moderation features, though no such functionality had been implemented, while users feared unauthorized use of their creative work for AI training purposes.