Vercel now collects your code to train AI models
Vercel just updated its terms of service to quietly scrape code from free-tier users for AI training. If you are using the platform without paying, your private projects are officially on the menu.
Vercel announced a major update to its terms of service that allows the platform to train AI models using developer code and chats. The change goes into effect on March 31 and specifically targets users on the free Hobby and Trial Pro tiers by opting them in automatically.
- The free tier trap: Users on the Hobby and Trial Pro plans are opted in by default and must actively navigate to their settings to disable data scraping.
- The paid protection: Paying developers on the standard Pro tier are opted out by default, while Enterprise users are completely excluded from training.
- The deadline: Developers must manually opt out before the March 31 deadline to prevent Vercel from sharing their historical data with third-party AI providers.
The cost of free hosting: Vercel is far from the only company pulling this maneuver, as the entire tech industry increasingly relies on harvesting user data to feed hungry AI models. The golden rule of the internet remains undefeated here: if you are not paying for the product, you are the product.
- The targeted data: The platform will actively collect user code, Vercel agent chats, deployment telemetry, and aggregate traffic stats to improve its own AI features.
- The exclusions: The company explicitly states it will redact all personal information, environment variables, and API keys before training the models.
- The developer backlash: The sneaky opt-in default has frustrated developers, prompting many to recommend moving projects to self-hosted VPS alternatives for full control.
The Bottom Line: Opting free users into AI training by default is a classic dark pattern designed to quietly harvest as much proprietary code as possible. Developers must actively monitor their data privacy settings on platforms like Vercel if they want to keep their intellectual property out of third-party AI models.
Source: Vercel terms of service.
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