Scanning ahead...

Changes to WeTransfer’s Ts&Cs are concerning, says Jon Devo. But it’s part of a broader trend.

- Jon Devo

For years, WeTransfer has been the Swiss Army knife of the creative world - a dependable bridge between ‘work in progress’, ‘done’ and ‘delivered’. But a recent change in its terms of service has triggered a wave of unease. The main concerns focus on AI scanning, but the deeper concern is trust. In a landscape where every tool doubles as a data vacuum or surveillance layer, creatives are yet again being asked to trade convenience for control.

In the company's updated terms of service and privacy policy, which came into effect in early August, it introduced language that is vague at best. Despite not claiming ownership over the content uploaded to its platforms, the wording provides room for WeTransfer to use content without the explicit consent or knowledge of its users.