Adobe Forces Customers To Accept User Agreement To ‘Access Your Content Through Both Automated And Manual Methods’

Adobe is facing heavy scrutiny after a number of customers became aware of a privacy policy shift that allows the tech company to automatically scan and keep records of users’ personal projects, and use it to train their generative AI. On top of that, Adobe forces users to accept these new terms of service or paying customers can no longer access their programs and projects.

Adobe explicitly states that the company has the right to “access your content through both automated and manual methods.” Adobe defines “content” as “any text, information, communication, or material, such as audio files, video files, electronic documents, or images, that you upload, import into, embed for use by, or create using the Services and Software.”

When users open up an Adobe program, such as Photoshop or Illustrator, for example, they are greeted with an “Update Terms of Use” pop-up that has no opt-out option, just an “accept and continue.” If users are not willing to accept these new terms, the software cannot be accessed.

We’ve made some changes to the Adobe General Terms of Use regarding the use of Software and Services, including:

• Clarified that we may access your content through both automated and manual methods, such as for content review (Sections 2.2 and 4.1)

• Modified our right to delete content for inactive accounts (Section 5.3)

• Updated the period to resolve disputes informally from 60 to 30 days (Section 14.1)

By closing this window, you’ll be unable to continue using Adobe apps and services. By clicking “Accept and Continue,” you agree that you have read and accepted the Terms of Use.

Venture Beat noted that this message was sent out to ‘many customers of Adobe’s Creative Cloud Suite (which counts more than 20 million users globally)’ last week.

Naturally, this infuriated users who had already paid for or were subscribed to Adobe’s services and could no longer access their content.

In a blog post, Adobe highlighted the actual specifics of the change.

In a statement to The Stack, Adobe stated:

This policy has been in place for many years. As part of our commitment to being transparent with our customers, we added clarifying examples earlier this year to our Terms of Use regarding when Adobe may access user content.

Adobe accesses user content for a number of reasons, including the ability to deliver some of our most innovative cloud-based features, such as Photoshop Neural Filters and Remove Background in Adobe Express, as well as to take action against prohibited content. Adobe does not access, view or listen to content that is stored locally on any user’s device.

The Stack pointed out that this move comes at a time when more and more companies are integrating generative AI into their products and services.

Moreover, Adobe followed-up with another blog post to try and soothe customers’ nerves. But, as pointed out by many others, Adobe outright lied and claims that customers “always” have the right to opt out of this recent terms of use agreement.

You have a choice to not participate in our product improvement program. We may use usage data and content characteristics to improve your product experience and develop features like masking and background removal among others through techniques including machine learning (NOT generative AI). You always have the option of opting out of our desktop product improvement programs.

Your content is yours and will never be used to train any generative AI tool. We will make it clear in the license grant section that any license granted to Adobe to operate its services will not supersede your ownership rights.

Adobe stated

Adobe also claimed that they “may use usage data and content characteristics to improve your product experience and develop features like masking and background removal among others through techniques including machine learning (NOT generative AI).”

However, “generative AI” and “machine learning” are very much synonyms for the same thing in most contexts. IBM clarifies this on their website by placing “generative AI” under the broader umbrella of “machine learning.” In other words, it’s basically the same thing.

But people were not satisfied with Adobe’s answers.

In 2021, The WinePress reported that Adobe partnered with Twitter (now X) and the New York Times to censor “misinformation” in photo metadata.

SEE: Microsoft Introduces AI “Recall” Tool That Records *Everything* You Do On Your Computer

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

In other words, “You’ll own nothing and be happy.”

Proverbs 28:24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.

This is what a vast number of companies are doing now. It doesn’t matter if you bought their product years ago: they will now at the drop of a hat declare that you can no longer use it, and all your privacy and personal information will be sold for a pretty penny; and you either accept the slave contact or no longer use their products, or just pirate it and use bootleg versions of it.

I still have an “ancient” version of Photoshop I still use and you wouldn’t know the difference. However, if you are looking for some really good alternatives for cheap, I recommend and use products by Affinity. You can buy their photo-editing, vector and illustrator, and publisher software for $70 each; and they have plenty of sales so you can get it cheaper. Their products are just as good if not even better than Adobe’s stuff in some aspects, and the price cannot be compared.

Don’t use Adobe anymore.

Proverbs 22:22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: [23] For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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