Tumblr and WordPress user data to be sold to Midjourney and OpenAI: Report

Tumblr and WordPress are preparing to sell users’ data to ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and text-to-image generator Midjourney

Automattic shared a post about its AI usage policy, with the URL date set as February 27 [File] | Photo Credit: AP

Tumblr and WordPress parent, Automattic, is preparing for a deal to sell the platforms’ user data to ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and text-to-image generator Midjourney, according to a report by tech outlet 404 Media.

Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform that attracts young users, and WordPress is a content management system and website builder.

The deal comes amidst a rise in publications like the Associated Press and social media platforms like Reddit entering into deals to share their content with OpenAI and Google, respectively. More AI giants are looking to enhance their large language models through such partnerships with content-rich sources without later being sued over copyright infringement.

However, the Automattic deal has several complications, as a Tumblr product manager claimed that the initial platform data that was compiled contained private posts, content from deleted blogs, potentially sexual content, and even third-party content from official partner blogs, 404 Media reported.

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Automattic shared a post about its AI usage policy, with the URL date set as February 27. The post confirmed that the Tumblr and WordPress parent was open to working with some AI companies.

“We are also working directly with select AI companies as long as their plans align with what our community cares about: attribution, opt-outs, and control. Our partnerships will respect all opt-out settings,” the company noted in the post.

“We currently block, by default, major AI platform crawlers—including ones from the biggest tech companies—and update our lists as new ones launch,” it added.