EyeEm, the Berlin-based photo sharing community, has taken an innovative step aligning itself with advancements in artificial intelligence. After facing bankruptcy last year, EyeEm was acquired by the Spanish company Freepik. Since the acquisition, EyeEm has embarked on a new venture, embracing AI by licensing user photographs to train machine learning models. Earlier this month, the company notified users via email about an update to their Terms and Conditions that permits the use of their uploaded content for enhancing software, algorithms, and AI.
Users were given a 30-day window to opt out by removing their content from EyeEm’s platform. Failure to do so would imply their consent for their photographs to be utilized in AI research and development. At the time of its acquisition in 2023, EyeEm boasted a library of 160 million images and approximately 150,000 contributors. Plans to integrate EyeEm’s community with Freepik’s over time were disclosed by the company.
Despite a downturn in downloads and usage, EyeEm continues to appeal to photo enthusiasts, with about 30,000 new downloads each month, as evident from Appfigures data.
The once potential Instagram competitor faced severe financial hardships which reduced its workforce significantly before being sold to Freepik. Joaquin Cuenca Abela, CEO of Freepik, hinted at exploring ways to incorporate more AI into the creator content equation on the platform, which now seems to include selling their work to train AI models.
Section 13 of the company’s terms outlines a complicated deletion process, starting with the direct removal of photos. This procedure does not affect content shared on EyeEm Magazine or social media but pertains to individual users. Requests to remove content from EyeEm Market or other platforms must be directed to the specified support email, detailing the content IDs and whether the removal is from just the user’s profile or from EyeEm Market as well.
The notification mentioned that removal from EyeEm Market and affiliated platforms might take up to 180 days. Interestingly, users have only 30 days to decide, highlighting a cumbersome opt-out process. EyeEm’s move underscores how AI models are trained on user content, sometimes without explicit consent. Photographers who miss the notification will forfeit control over the future use of their photos. Given the decline in EyeEm’s popularity as an alternative to Instagram, many photographers may have forgotten they ever used the platform.
Key Questions and Answers:
– What new policy did EyeEm implement?
EyeEm updated their Terms and Conditions to allow the use of uploaded content by its users to enhance software, algorithms, and artificial intelligence.
– How did EyeEm inform users of the policy change?
Users were informed of the change through an email and given a 30-day window to opt out by removing their content from the platform.
– What does the policy change mean for users?
If users do not opt out within the designated timeframe, their photographs may be used to train AI models, implying their consent to this usage.
– What are the implications of content removal?
The deletion process is complicated, and while direct removal of photos from a user’s profile is possible, content shared on EyeEm Magazine or social media may remain unaffected; furthermore, requesting content removal from EyeEm Market involves additional steps.
Key Challenges and Controversies:
– Consent and Transparency: There are concerns about the level of transparency and consent given that users who do not actively opt out are automatically deemed to have consented to the use of their photos for AI training. This arrangement, known in legal terms as “opt-out consent,” is controversial because it may not represent an explicit agreement from all users.
– Photographers’ Rights: Photographers may be unaware that their intellectual property is being used to train AI, which raises ethical questions about the rights of creators and their control over the future use of their content.
– Complex Opt-out Process: Users face a challenging and potentially confusing process to opt out, which could deter them from exercising their rights and controlling the use of their photographs.
Advantages:
– Innovation: Using a large library of images to train AI can lead to the development of more advanced and accurate algorithms, benefiting technological progress.
– Revenue Stream: This approach can offer a new revenue stream for EyeEm and contribute to its financial stability following its acquisition by Freepik.
Disadvantages:
– User Distrust: The opt-out policy could lead to distrust among EyeEm’s users, who may feel their rights as content creators are not being fully respected.
– Legal Challenges: The company might face legal challenges if users feel their content is being used without proper consent or any form of compensation.
For additional information on EyeEm or their parent company, you may visit the official websites through the following links:
– EyeEm
– Freepik
Please ensure that you are aware of EyeEm’s and Freepik’s latest policies and actions by visiting their websites directly, as the content and guidelines may evolve over time.