SoundCloud, a popular music-sharing platform, is facing backlash from creators who claim the company is using their uploaded music to train its artificial intelligence systems. The controversy centers around a clause in SoundCloud’s terms of use that was added in February 2024.
Key Points of the Controversy
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Terms of Use Clause: The clause states that users agree their content may be used to inform, train, develop, or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of providing the services. This provision was first reported by Futurism.
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Community Response: Musical duo The Flight brought attention to the issue on Bluesky this week. In response, some users deleted their accounts entirely. A representative from The Flight stated, "We alerted fellow creators about this issue."
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SoundCloud’s Position: A SoundCloud spokesperson responded to the criticism, emphasizing that the company believes AI can help expand artists’ creative output but must be used with consent, attribution, and fair compensation. They stated, "We do not currently use artist content for training AI models outside of our own platform."
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Technical Safeguards: SoundCloud has implemented technical safeguards on its site to prohibit unauthorized use of content for AI training purposes. However, the spokesperson acknowledged that there is still room for improvement regarding transparency around these issues.
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Commitment to User Rights: The spokesperson added, "We are committed to ensuring that our users’ rights are protected and respected. We will continue to work with our community and industry partners to ensure that we are meeting these standards."
Broader Implications
The controversy highlights concerns over data ownership and control when it comes to digital platforms like SoundCloud. As more companies turn towards AI technology, questions arise over how user data is being used without consent.
Recent High-Profile Cases
Several recent cases have underscored concerns over data ownership:
- Meta’s Acquisition: Meta’s acquisition of Instagram Reels maker Firehose.ai has been accused of scraping TikTok videos without permission.
- YouTube’s AI Tool: Google-owned YouTube announced plans for an AI-powered video editing tool called Video Editor, which would allow users to create professional-looking videos using clips from YouTube Shorts.
- Facebook’s Data Collection: Meta-owned Facebook has faced accusations of collecting user data through its facial recognition feature, even if it isn’t enabled on individual profiles.
As the industry evolves, the question of how user data is being utilized without consent remains a pressing concern.
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