People Express Outrage Over Adobe’s Controversial Terms of Service Update
Users of popular Adobe products such as Photoshop and Substance 3D were left reeling after the company implemented a new Terms of Service update that requires users to grant Adobe unlimited access to their creations. This move has sparked outrage and concerns among the creative community, with many expressing their dissatisfaction with what they perceive as spyware-like practices.
According to Jérémie Noguer, Substance 3D ecosystem’s Product Director, Adobe claims to not access or read users’ projects in any way. However, the updated Terms of Service state otherwise, allowing Adobe to access and view user creations through automated and manual methods, including the use of machine learning techniques for analysis purposes. This has raised suspicions that Adobe may be using user-generated content to train its artificial intelligence models.
In addition, Section 4.2 of Adobe’s Terms of Use grants the company a royalty-free, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, publicly display, distribute, modify, and create derivative works based on user creations. The inability to uninstall Photoshop without agreeing to these terms has only added fuel to the fire, leaving users feeling trapped and powerless.
Despite the backlash from the community, Adobe has yet to address the situation or revise the Terms of Use. The lack of response has led many to speculate that Adobe may be adopting a strategy of waiting out the controversy rather than taking immediate action to address user concerns.
This controversy is reminiscent of Microsoft’s recent misstep with the introduction of Recall, an AI-powered feature for Windows 11 that captures screenshots of users’ activities, potentially compromising their privacy. As tech giants continue to push the boundaries of data collection and usage, it is crucial for users to remain vigilant and advocate for their rights to privacy and control over their creations.
