1. EyeEm is now licensing users’ photos to train AI models without explicit consent, giving users only 30 days to opt out by deleting their content.
2. EyeEm was acquired by Freepik in 2023 and has updated its Terms & Conditions to grant the company rights to use photos for software development and training.
3. Users are frustrated with the lack of transparency and limited options for deleting their content from EyeEm’s platform and partner platforms.
EyeEm, the photo-sharing community based in Berlin, was acquired in 2023 by Spanish company Freepik after going bankrupt. Recently, EyeEm notified users that a new clause in its Terms & Conditions would allow the company to use users’ photos to train AI models for software, algorithms, and machine-learning. Users had 30 days to opt out by removing their content from EyeEm’s platform.
At the time of acquisition, EyeEm had 160 million images and nearly 150,000 users. Despite once being considered a possible challenger to Instagram, EyeEm had a minimal staff before being sold. Freepik’s CEO hinted at exploring the integration of more AI into the platform, which now includes selling users’ work to train AI models.
EyeEm’s updated Terms & Conditions grant the company non-exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and make derivative works of users’ content. Opting out requires the deletion of content from EyeEm’s platform, a process that could take up to 180 days. Users who do not opt out within 30 days will lose the right to control how their photos are used. This move by EyeEm has sparked backlash from photographers who are upset about the lack of notice and options to bulk delete their contributions.
This situation has led some users to consider moving to alternative platforms like Pixelfed, which assures users that their images will not be used to train AI models. EyeEm’s actions have highlighted the importance of transparency and user consent in online platforms, especially when it comes to using user-generated content for AI training purposes.