Last week, WeTransfer responded to the reaction after the news surrounding changing policies. The company published a detailed blog post to explain what had happened and to calm things down. It said the wording had been misunderstood.
WeTransfer said it does not use people’s uploads to train AI systems. The company explained that it had only added the line about machine learning to cover the idea of using it to spot harmful or illegal content in the future. That system had not been built, and the line was taken out once the confusion became clear.
It also explained that the licence section wasn’t new. It had been in the terms for years, just worded differently. They said it is there to allow the system to send and process files. If they didn’t have that licence, the platform wouldn’t work at all.
To make things easier to follow, they rewrote section 6.3. They took out the machine learning part and focused on what the platform actually does: store, transfer, and prepare files for sharing. That includes things like resizing images or creating previews.
Who Owns The Files People Send?
WeTransfer says ownership of the content doesn’t change. Section 6.2 of the new terms repeats this clearly. People still hold all rights to their work, and using the platform doesn’t change that.
The licence simply lets WeTransfer do what it needs to deliver files to the right people. This includes allowing it to make backups, resize images or share them securely. WeTransfer also made it clear that it does not sell uploads or give them to anyone else.
The service still depends on trust. Creatives need to feel safe using it, and WeTransfer seems to have realised that. Taking out the part about machine learning and making the new terms easier to read was part of that.
What Does It Mean For Users Now?
For most people, very little has changed in how WeTransfer works. The panic came from how the words were written, not what the company was actually doing. Now that WeTransfer has updated the terms again, the main message is that content still belongs to the person who made it.
People who use the platform can carry on sending large files like before. But the situation showed that wording matters. A few lines about machine learning were enough to make regular users feel like they had to protect their own work from a service they once trusted.
Gary Warner, Marketing Manager at Joloda Hydraroll, said, “It’s not surprising to see the backlash around WeTransfer’s proposed new policy updates. It seems to be increasingly common recently to see tech companies attempt to insert vague terms into their policies around AI and data usage.
“For global businesses like ours, secure file-sharing is critical, particularly when documents are being shared across borders and jurisdictions. So when a platform suddenly claims broad rights to use uploaded content pretty much any way it sees fit, it raises serious red flags around confidentiality, data control, and compliance.
“In the case of WeTransfer, they do at least appear to have listened to the customer response and have swiftly backtracked on the changes. But for anyone who relies on file-sharing tools, it’s a timely reminder to regularly review platform terms and to very carefully read any update notices. I think it’s also going to increasingly become a valuable selling point for providers to highlight when they do have clear, limited usage rights, particularly if they are handling sensitive or proprietary information.”
