In July 2025, WeTransfer updated its terms of service to permit the use of uploaded files for AI training purposes.
The change was noticed by creative professionals, designers, and videographers who regularly upload unreleased client work. Brand campaigns in pre-launch. Product footage under NDA. Commercial shoots the client has not yet approved for public release.
What exactly did WeTransfer change?
The updated terms allowed WeTransfer and its partners to use uploaded content to train and improve AI systems. The language covered files uploaded through the service.
For creative professionals, this is not an abstract concern. A brand video for a product launching next month is sensitive material. A campaign shot is covered by client NDAs. A commercial grade shoot is worth tens of thousands of dollars and is not supposed to be seen until the client releases it.
Using that material as AI training data, even in aggregate, is a breach of the implicit understanding between a file transfer tool and its users.
Did WeTransfer walk it back?
Yes. After significant public backlash from creative communities, WeTransfer reversed the terms-of-service change.
The walkback is real. If you are on WeTransfer today, the current terms do not include the AI training clause.
Why does it still matter?
Two reasons.
First: a company that attempted this change can attempt it again. Terms of service can be updated with 30 days notice. The infrastructure for AI training on uploaded content could be reactivated. A company under pressure from a new owner to find revenue sources is a company with ongoing incentive to try.
Second: the communities where creative professionals share tool recommendations noticed. r/videography, r/filmmaking, design forums. Once a tool is associated with "tried to train AI on our footage," the recommendation changes. The alternative tools get discussed. People switch.
What kind of files were at risk?
Any file uploaded to WeTransfer during or after the terms change went into effect. For creative professionals, this typically includes:
- Commercial video exports and raw footage
- Brand campaigns before public launch
- Product footage covered by NDA
- Motion graphics and animation renders
- Design files containing unreleased branding
- Photography from corporate campaigns
Files from wedding and portrait photographers were also affected, though those are different professional contexts.
What do I tell my clients?
If your client asks whether their unreleased footage could have been used for AI training via WeTransfer, the honest answer is: it depended on when you uploaded and what the terms said at that moment.
The policy was changed and then reversed. Files that were uploaded during the window when the AI training terms were active were subject to those terms at the time of upload. Whether that translated to actual training data use is not publicly known.
For clients who have strict confidentiality requirements, this is reason enough to switch delivery tools.
What tools do not train AI on your files?
Any storage or delivery tool can change its terms. The question is what a company's business model is and whether AI training on user content aligns with it.
TrunkTransfer: files are stored on Cloudflare R2, served to your client, and deleted after expiry. There is no AI product. There is no incentive to train on uploaded footage. The terms are explicit: zero AI training on your files, ever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did WeTransfer actually use my files to train AI?
WeTransfer updated its terms to permit this. Whether files were actively used during the period when those terms were in effect is not publicly documented. The terms were reversed after backlash.
Is WeTransfer safe to use now?
The current terms do not include the AI training clause. Whether to trust a tool that attempted the change once is a judgment call each user makes for themselves.
Can WeTransfer change its terms again?
Yes. Any company can update its terms of service. Standard practice is 30 days notice. Nothing prevents a future terms update from reintroducing similar language.
What is the most private way to deliver files to clients?
Use a dedicated delivery tool with explicit privacy terms: no AI training, no ads on download pages, files deleted after expiry, private storage with no public access. Verify the terms before uploading unreleased work.
