Artists accuse 123RF of exploiting content for AI development

Contributors to the stock media platform 123RF complain that the company uses their content for AI training without compensating them, that customer support is unresponsive, and that it is difficult to remove content from the platform.

Several contributors report that 123RF updated its terms of service last year to allow the use of contributors’ content for AI training without additional payment.

One contributor, Mantis, explained: “The terms were essentially ‘we are going to use your content to train AI and you have no choice other than to leave the platform’.” Other contributors expressed their dissatisfaction with this policy and subsequently left the platform and deleted their content.

However, even after deleting their work, some creators claim that their content is still for sale on 123RF. Trek, a former contributor, shared: “I deleted all my videos at 123rf weeks ago… but they are still selling them. My email to support has gone unanswered.“

Ambu, another contributor who deleted their content, confirmed similar problems and questioned the effectiveness of 123RF’s deletion process.

Contributors also report long delays in communication with 123RF support. Ambu claims to have sent multiple emails to the company since June 2024 regarding content review, sales requests, and earning records, among other issues, without receiving a response. Other participants echoed these concerns, describing communication with the platform as “inconsistent and unreliable”

While some users view 123RF as a “normal stock” with lower earning potential and slower support response times, the growing number of complaints about unpaid AI training, content removal issues, and unresponsive customer service raises questions about the platform’s practices and treatment of contributors.

The company has not yet responded to Photutorial’s requests for comment on these allegations. The situation continues to evolve as more and more contributors describe their experiences.