Sovereignty begins with discomfort
I had promised myself (and my wife) not to write business blogs during my vacation. Still, I'm here. In the French sun, with a glass of wine in one hand and a laptop in the other. Why? Because the panic surrounding Wetransfer is not an incident, but a symptom of a much deeper problem. In June 2025, Wetransfer quietly ended a clause in their U.S. Terms of Use. It gave them the right to use your files to train AI models. No opt-in, no transparency. After international commotion, the clause has been deleted. The promise: “We don’t use your files for AI”. But the damage has already been done. Trust comes on foot and goes by fiber optic cable.
“Whoever sells convenience should provide transparency.”
Convenience is the beginning of loss.
We live in a click culture. One upload, everything arranged. But behind that apparent simplicity lies an awkward truth. Wetransfer’s AI clause meant that your design, your photos, your presentations (everything you share) could potentially be used to train generative AI. Without your permission. Without any compensation. What sounds like legal precision is, in fact, a devious package of power shift. And most people simply click on ‘agree’ because there seems to be no alternative. This is the real tragedy: not the attack on our autonomy, but our voluntary surrender to it.
“You don’t give away autonomy all at once, but in a thousand mini-acceptances.”
The CLOUD Act is the real leak
Even if Wetransfer promises not to use your files for AI, one structural problem remains: the CLOUD Act. This U.S. law requires every U.S. service provider (yes, even if the servers are in Frankfurt) to hand over data to U.S. authorities upon request. Your European data is therefore not secure as long as it falls under US jurisdiction. Saving in Europe is not a solution if the platform itself sails under a different flag. It's like putting money in a Swiss bank run by the FBI. And we do it en masse. Because it works. Because it's easy. Because we'd rather lose our data than change our habits.
“An EU data centre under the US flag is like a safe with the key at the neighbours.”
Alternatives deserve space (and respect)
At the campsite where I write this, I saw four people walking around with a shirt from Soverin.net. No hugs, but silent admiration. Because they do it differently. No datagrabbing, no AI tricks. Just European privacy principles as a foundation. We need more such initiatives. No niche projects, but solid alternatives. What we need is space, support and above all: use. Don't wait for Big Tech to fall through the basket. That's happened a long time ago. What we need is European courage. Dare to say no to what America serves as standard. Dare to build something else. And to use that.
“Real appreciation does not sound loud, but grows in silence.”
Time to act, not talk
As we debate protocols, APIs and legal frameworks, the digital world is changing under our feet. Biometric age verification, as discussed by PrivacyGuides.org, is just one example of how sensitive our data has become. The European Commission itself is working on a regulation requiring age verification via a central app (Mobile World Live). With all the consequences this entails: facial data, identity documents and behavioural analyses shall become part of a digital gateway to basic services. And as Aura Salla puts it on LinkedIn: If Trump wants tariffs on European products, it must also be Big Tech's turn. The digital infrastructure we rely on every day (cloud, email, messaging, storage) is not neutral. It has become a geopolitical weapon. And we stand there laughing, liking, and scrolling.
“Digital autonomy is not a policy goal, it is a survival strategy.”
The Price of Naivety
We put ourselves to sleep with words such as ‘innovation’, ‘free services’ and ‘user-friendliness’. But behind every free account is a revenue model. And behind every revenue model is an agenda. Naivety is not a sin. It's a luxury we can no longer afford. The digital world is not a playground, it is a battlefield. And we came with a knife to a gunfight.
“Those who think they are customers are often the product being sold.”
Sources:
- https://tecnobits.com/nl/WeTransfer-gebruikt-uw-bestanden-om-AI-te-trainen./
- https://www.mobileworldlive.com/europe/eu-to-tighten-grip-on-big-tech-with-age-app/
- https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/05/06/age-verification-wants-your-face/#official-documents
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aurasalla_tariff-activity-7350548385038237696-wEJR/
English (UK)