Adobe is requiring users to agree to new terms of use that state that users can access their content in both manual and automated ways. If users don’t agree to these terms, they can’t use Adobe apps. Naturally, users are angry, even well-known professionals.
Adobe’s new terms of use have also angered professionals
Adobe’s new terms of use include the rights to use, reproduce, publicly display, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, and translate users’ content to improve services and software.
This has drawn the ire of many professionals and creative users. Wetterschneider, a designer with major clients like DC Comics and Nike, reacted to the situation, saying, “If you’re a professional, if you’re under NDA, if you’re a creative person, if you’re a lawyer, a doctor, or someone who works with classified files, it’s time to cancel Adobe and delete all apps. Adobe cannot be trusted,” he said.
Film director Duncan Jones reacted similarly. “Hey @Photoshop, what was the new deal you forced us to sign this morning? We’re making a movie we’re working on here, and no, you suddenly can’t own the rights to our work because we paid to use Photoshop.”
Adobe’s new terms of use are thought to be aimed at using users’ content to train future AI models. Adobe launched its generative AI products last year and has stated that it uses its own library of stock images and other publicly available media content to train these products. However, this use of users’ content has caused great concern, especially among those who rely on Adobe applications for professional work.
Adobe’s full terms of use page states that the document was last updated in February 2024, but this update was largely overlooked until it was brought to users’ attention by pop-up notifications in Adobe apps. This update caused widespread backlash, with many users raising concerns about Adobe’s lack of control over how they use their content.
While Adobe’s subscription plans state that it does not analyze content processed or stored on users’ local devices, it does state that it can access data in certain circumstances on cloud storage services. This has sparked debate among users that content analysis should be opt-in.
In the wake of these controversial changes, Adobe will likely have to take steps to regain the trust of its users and address their concerns. In the meantime, it remains to be seen how Adobe will proceed and what reassurances it will provide to its users, as no announcement has yet been made.
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