Adobe—Adobe updated terms of service sparking backlash over perceived AI training on user content, then clarified and revised terms
In June 2024, Adobe updated its terms of service requiring users to agree to give the company access to their content via 'automated and manual methods.' The vague language went viral as creatives feared Adobe would use their work to train its Firefly AI model or access NDA-protected projects. Adobe quickly responded with a blog post calling it a 'misunderstanding' and on June 24, 2024 released updated terms explicitly stating users own their content and Adobe would not train generative AI on customer content except for Adobe Stock submissions.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Transparency | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Intellectual Property Ethics | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.372 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.66)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (2 signals)
TrustLab analysis documented the Adobe terms of use controversy and backlash from creative professionals
TrustLab published an analysis of the Adobe ToS controversy, documenting how the vague language requiring users to grant access via 'automated and manual methods' sparked widespread backlash from creatives who feared their NDA-protected work would be used for AI training.
Adobe published blog post clarifying terms of use controversy and promising not to train AI on customer content
Adobe published an official blog post on June 6, 2024, calling the ToS backlash a 'misunderstanding' and clarifying the company does not train generative AI on customer content. On June 10, 2024, Adobe published updated terms of use explicitly addressing ownership and AI training concerns.