Is Content Creating at Risk Due to Recent Choices from Adobe?
Story by Maestro Joyner. Photo by None The Wiser via Youtube.
On June 6th, 2024, Adobe released their new terms of service which implied that users will consent to their content being used as “non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free sublicensable, license, for use, reproduction, public display, distribute, modify, derivative works, publicly perform, and translate content.” Once Adobe published these terms, many content creators, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and editors became furious with this decision.
After many creators took to social media, complaining about the change, canceling their subscriptions, and even providing alternatives to each Adobe software, the company was forced to release a statement clarifying that they will only use “limited licenses for content” so they could improve their services. However, this not only didn’t calm angry users but raised concerns about their link to artificial intelligence with their work.
But in Adobe’s recent statement, on June 10th, 2024, they clarified that “Adobe requires a limited license to access content solely for the purpose of operating or improving the services and software and to enforce our terms and comply with law, such as to protect against abusive content.” The followed this up with a listing all the times Adobe applications and services may need to access content.
This recent statement caused users to have an even bigger uproar on social media, with users posting about how the statement was to save face and deflect genuine concerns. Currently, on June 17th, 2024, the Federal Trades Commission (FTC) sued Adobe for deceiving their customers by hiding the early termination fee and making it difficult for customers to cancel their current subscription. Many consumers went to the FTC since they were unaware of the early termination fee (ETF) or the fact that the annual fee was a requirement.
To creators and artists this is a big deal, but to others it may seem like an overreaction. However, when looking deeper into what is happening at Adobe, many other companies over the past few years have been using user information to feed their uses of AI, like Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, and Apple. While some uses of AI are harmless and useful, it has progressed to taking people’s information nonconsensually for the “better future.”
There’s still some push back over the use of AI, but creators and artists are not letting Adobe get away with using their projects without permission. It’s a great step for the future as people can start pushing back against tech companies using AI to protect their data and creative work.
Maestro Joyner is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.