The move has sparked controversy, with users upset about the short notice and lack of options to bulk delete their contributions. The process to delete content from the EyeEm Market or other platforms is complicated and can take up to 180 days. Critics argue that this is an example of AI models being trained on users’ content without their explicit consent. The federated platform, Pixelfed, has capitalized on the situation, promising never to use users' images to train AI models.
Key takeaways:
- EyeEm, a Berlin-based photo-sharing community, is licensing its users’ photos to train AI models. The company has added a new clause to its Terms & Conditions granting it the rights to use users’ content for this purpose.
- Users were given 30 days to opt out by removing all their content from EyeEm’s platform. If they did not opt out, they were consenting to this use case for their work.
- The process for deleting content from EyeEm is complicated and can take up to 180 days. Users only have 30 days to opt out, meaning the only option is manually deleting photos one by one.
- EyeEm’s move has been criticized as an example of how AI models are being trained on the back of users’ content, sometimes without their explicit consent. Many users were upset they were only given a 30-day notice and no options to bulk delete their contributions.