WeTransfer

WeTransfer

Basic information
Founded	2009
Legal Structure	Private
Industry	Cloud
Also known as
Official website	https://www.wetransfer.com

WeTransfer is a cloud-based file transfer service that allows users to upload files through their website and then either gives them a link directly or to send an e-mail to the recipient with a download link. If sent through e-mail, the sender can be notified when their files were downloaded.

Initially, the website was primarily financed by advertising and required no registration. The free tier had a 2GB limit on the file size and links would expire after a week. Both limitations could be lifted by changing to a paid plan for the service.

On 31 July 2024, it was announced that the company was sold to Italian tech company Bending Spoons, which at that point already had a questionable reputation for changing the business model of the iPhone camera app FiLMiC Pro after taking it over. Similar changes aimed at maximizing profit were introduced to WeTransfer, and it was announced that the majority of the existing staff would be laid off.

Uploading files to a company unencrypted poses a variety of dangers of these documents leaking or being misused. Employees of companies might try to use services they know from home use and try to send confidential information through such channels.

This can be circumvented by:

1. Putting the files to be sent into a ZIP file that's protected by a strong password prior to uploading.
2. Sending the password through an unrelated channel, such as a messenger chat.

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the WeTransfer category.

At some point WeTransfer began to block use of the website on mobile devices, making it impossible to upload or download files, and directing users to download the app instead. Aside from the usual app overload concerns, the app was focused around some sort of collages, this was perceived as annoying by many users.

This restriction can be circumvented by using the "Load Desktop Website" option in the web browser of the phone. -->

In June 2019, it was disclosed that some files were sent to the wrong recipients.^[1]

In August 2018, WeTransfer acquired the assets of FiftyThree, Inc., including the Paper drawing app and intellectual property related to Pencil by FiftyThree, a Bluetooth active stylus launched in 2013.^[2] The Pencil's key features — palm rejection, eraser, and Blend — relied entirely on Bluetooth integration with the Paper app via a proprietary SDK, and had no fallback through any open standard or third-party app ecosystem.

In 2019, WeTransfer discontinued support for the Pencil in the Paper app.^[3] The device was not bricked entirely — it continued to function as a basic passive stylus — but its core active features became permanently inaccessible, with no means of recovery available to consumers. No compensation or replacement was offered. The product had been sold commercially at prices between $49.95 and $59.95.^[4]

This is an early documented instance of active hardware being functionally downgraded through a software decision made by a company after acquiring the product from its original developer, without prior consumer notice or recourse.

After acquiring WeTransfer in July 2024, Bending Spoons made changes to the business model that affected consumers:

• Uploads were no longer possible without registering an account^[5]

• The free tier had its number of transfers per month capped at 10 (previously none) or 3GB in total (up from 2GB), whichever is reached first in a 30-day period, and the storage duration reduced from a week to three days.^[6]

• The Pro ($15/month) and Premium ($25/month) plans were combined into a single new plan, Ultimate ($25/month).^[6][7]

• A new "starter" plan was introduced that increased the monthly file size limit to 300GB. It was initially priced at $6.99/month but at some point prior to 2026 was increased to $10/month.^[8]

In the new Terms of Service presented on 23 June 2025, WeTransfer originally stated that they entitle themselves to "make a profit of the files uploaded by users", starting from 8 August 2025.^[9] This is in stark contrast with the Terms of Service from 2021, which states there is no right of ownership to the uploaded files.^[9]

Further, the new Terms of Service sparked additional backlash, by the clause to "include the possibility of using AI to improve content moderation" on the uploaded files. WeTransfer updated this clause.^[10]

This was the text in section 6.3:^[11]

"You hereby grant us a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable license to use your Content for the purposes of operating, developing, commercializing, and improving the Service or new technologies or services, including to improve performance of machine learning models that enhance our content moderation process, in accordance with the Privacy & Cookie Policy. Such license includes the right to reproduce, distribute, modify, prepare derivative works based upon, broadcast, communicate to the public, publicly display, and perform Content. You will not be entitled to compensation for any use of Content by us under these Terms."

On 15 July 2025^[12] they rewrote the section to remove the content license/sub-license grant.

In order to allow us to operate, provide you with, and improve the Service and our technologies, we must obtain from you certain rights related to Content that is covered by intellectual property rights. You hereby grant us a royalty-free license to use your Content for the purposes of operating, developing, and improving the Service, all in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy.

Additionally, on or prior to 24 July 2025, the following was included at the top of the Privacy Policy web page:^[13]

With WeTransfer...

• Your content belongs to you
• Your content isn't used to train AI
• Your content isn't sold to third parties

The above wording was changed somewhat between 29 October 2025 and 19 November 2025:^[14]

With WeTransfer...

• You own your content. Always.
• Your content isn’t used to train AI.
• Your content isn’t sold to anyone.
• Your content is secure.

• Swiss company Infomaniak offers a free service called SwissTransfer that is similar to WeTransfer, but has none of the restrictions introduced to WeTransfer by Bending Spoons. The free transfer limit is 50 GB (compared to 2 GB for WeTransfer) and the storage time is up to thirty days (compared to the original seven days by WeTransfer). Moreover, the user can choose a language for the download page.
• SendGB also offers 20 GB transfers for free without registration.

• Spotify Car Thing — another case of active hardware rendered non-functional following discontinuation of app support, similar to Pencil by FiftyThree