Will Your Confidential Files Soon Be Used to Train AI?

You may have heard recently about the minor scare involving WeTransfer: the company briefly considered using the files temporarily hosted on its platform to train its own artificial intelligence models. Faced with widespread outrage and fears of backlash from privacy-conscious users, WeTransfer quickly backtracked. But this episode deserves closer attention, as it raises a fundamental question that concerns all businesses today: do you really have control over the digital tools your employees use every day?

A Widespread Risk: Which Other SaaS Tool Will Follow the Same Path Tomorrow?

Today it's WeTransfer backing down, but tomorrow, the temptation could affect other players. Popular platforms like ilovepdf, Grosfichiers, SwissTransfer, pdfGuru, Notion, or Asana might be tempted to monetize their data by training AI models using the files uploaded by their users.

Let’s consider a few concrete examples:

• Imagine an employee sends a strategic contract via Grosfichiers, a popular and free solution. Who can guarantee that this sensitive document won’t end up feeding an AI whose precise use you don’t know?
• Another common case: an employee uses Notion to centralize notes and customer data. What would happen if this confidential information were one day used to refine a predictive algorithm sold to competitors?

This issue is far from trivial—it’s become central in a context where SaaS tools are proliferating at an exponential rate within companies, often without any real oversight or visibility from IT or security teams.

Why Is Shadow IT So Dangerous?

The core problem with Shadow IT—tools used by employees without prior supervision or approval from IT teams—lies precisely in the lack of visibility it creates. It becomes nearly impossible for a company to effectively manage its confidential data, ensure compliance with regulations (notably GDPR), and, crucially, anticipate the risks of data being used by third parties.

The WeTransfer case is the perfect illustration: the mere fact that the company considered such use of data reveals a worrying reality—others could very well take this step tomorrow without necessarily backtracking.

How Can You Effectively Regain Control?

In the face of this major risk, the answer lies in proactive, centralized, and granular management of the SaaS tools used by all your employees. That’s exactly what Sonar Clarity offers with its SaaS Management solution, specifically designed to address these critical challenges.

With Sonar Clarity, you get:

• A complete, real-time map: You know exactly which SaaS tools your employees use daily, allowing you to act immediately in case of any problem or anomaly.
• Granular visibility into file uploads and exchanges: Every employee, every platform used, every shared file becomes visible. This granularity lets you understand precisely where your sensitive data is, how it circulates, and—above all—what the potential risks are.
• Risk anticipation for AI use: With the proliferation of generative and predictive AI, understanding exactly how your data can be exploited is crucial. Sonar Clarity proactively identifies risky use cases, giving you the power to act before it’s too late.

Anticipate Rather Than React: A Strategic Necessity

Don’t wait for the next scandal to break before taking action. Take control of your data and tools now, and anticipate the risks tied to questionable practices by some SaaS providers.

Because no one wants to discover one day that their strategic documents have unknowingly fueled an external or even competitive AI, choose transparency and control with Sonar Clarity.

Take the lead with Sonar Clarity today and ensure the peace of mind that is essential for your company’s security and sustainable growth.