Last Updated on 06/10/2024 by Nilofer Khan
Dear readers, we have some alarming news to share that may prompt you to reconsider your Adobe subscription. Shockingly, Adobe, the trusted software giant for your creative endeavors, may be using your work, including unpublished and in-progress projects, to train AI models. This revelation, stemming from Adobe’s recent Terms and Conditions update, has unsettled users profoundly. Despite attempts to clarify changes in a recent blog post, trust in the brand is rapidly eroding.
Why The New Adobe Terms of Use Might Make You Cancel
Moreover, users now face a catch-22: agreeing to new terms to access their accounts. It’s a stark reminder of the power corporations wield over digital lives, leaving users questioning the extent of their control and privacy.
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Adobe’s latest update seemingly grants the company unprecedented control over user content, under the guise of “content moderation” to combat illegal and child sexual abuse material. The language suggests that by signing up, users could unwittingly allow their work, including Non-Disclosure Agreements, to be used in training Adobe’s AI without consent or compensation. This breaches copyright and privacy rights, alarming users. While the clause doesn’t explicitly mention AI, terms like “automated systems” and “machine learning” raise red flags. Adobe’s relentless pursuit of revenue seems to be testing the limits of user trust, pushing it to the breaking point.
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After facing intense backlash, Adobe has clarified that they don’t train their AI on consumer content, except for licensed content like Adobe Stock and public domain material. They explicitly stated that Adobe will never claim ownership of customer work, affirming that customers retain ownership of their content. This clarification aims to address concerns regarding privacy and intellectual property rights, offering reassurance to users alarmed by the previous terms. However, trust in Adobe may take time to rebuild after such a contentious update.
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Folks on Twitter have been acting accordingly:
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Additionally, in a separate disclosure, Adobe has shed light on how it utilizes machine learning. For users of Creative Cloud or Adobe Stock, meaning that virtually everything you do could be accessible to the company, as is the case with many other cloud services. However, if your data is stored locally on devices like phones, iPads, or desktops, rest assured that your files remain safe from prying eyes.
The revelation may not be a complete shock, but it’s undeniably disheartening. Adobe’s subscription model has long been criticized for its lack of user-friendliness, with past controversies such as cancellation policy even landing them under FTC investigation. Now, with this latest change to their Terms and Conditions, Adobe is reinforcing the notion that their priorities lie solely in their interests.
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In this increasingly dystopian landscape, it’s becoming evident that tech giants are no longer aligned with the interests of the masses. Instead, their astronomical wealth is often accumulated through cost-cutting measures and the exploitation of millions. While technology has historically been hailed as a tool for progress, ushering in groundbreaking inventions like electricity, cameras, cars, and computers, the current path paints a troubling picture of societal homogenization.
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Indeed, if we examine the trajectory of tech innovation today, it’s apparent that a singular bandwagon prevails. AI, flying taxis, humanoid robots, and mirrorless cameras — are just a few examples of the trends shaping our collective future. Any attempts to diverge from this established path are either swiftly absorbed by giant corporations or struggle to gain the traction and recognition necessary for success.
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Despite the daunting landscape, there’s still hope on the horizon. If you’re considering alternatives, below is a curated list of alternatives to safeguard yourself:
Alternatives To Photoshop:
- Affinity Photo
- GIMP
- ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate
- Pixlr X
- Krista
- Inkscape
Alternatives to Lightroom:
- Skylum Luminar
- ON1 Photo RAW
- DxO PhotoLab
- Capture One: Our recommendation
- RawTherapee
Alternatives to Acrobat:
- Nitro PDF Pro
- PDF24 Creator
- Foxit PDF Editor
- Readdle PDF Expert
- EaseUS PDF Editor
This debacle is a stark reminder that in today’s world, everyone must prioritize their interests. While we rely on technology for our livelihoods, this doesn’t mean we’re powerless against the giants we’ve empowered. As this situation demonstrates, everything, including tech giants, is replaceable. When their moral values no longer align with ours, it’s within our collective power to take back the control we’ve bestowed upon them.
For several years, the Phoblographer has been reporting on questionable things that Adobe has done to the point where we’ve been cut off from press briefings in the past. In fact, this same issue came up with us before. We called their latest Photoshop update dystopian. Additionally, while stating that AI can help photographers, we’ve had many ethical discussions about it.
The Phoblographer is also the only American photography-specialty publication that is a member of the Content Authenticity Initiative. And we take it very seriously. In all of our interviews, we make photographers prove to us that they actually are making the work that we interview them about.