Pinterest - Revision history

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 3 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-23T12:53:39Z

Added archive URLs for 3 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:53, 23 February 2026
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	\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.		\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.
	}}		}}
	'''{{Wplink\|Pinterest}}''' is a photo-hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, but it changed to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany}}</ref>		'''{{Wplink\|Pinterest}}''' is a photo-hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, but it changed to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241220030321/https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|archive-date=20 Dec 2024}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==
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	<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>		<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>

	The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=8 Mar 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=10 Mar 2025 \|work=Futurism \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126183621/https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220708233541/https://old.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|archive-date=8 Jul 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231201063021/https://old.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|archive-date=1 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.		The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=8 Mar 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=10 Mar 2025 \|work=Futurism \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126183621/https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220708233541/https://old.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|archive-date=8 Jul 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231201063021/https://old.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|archive-date=1 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250917235109/https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|archive-date=17 Sep 2025}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.

	===Exploitation of pinned images (''circa 2012'')===		===Exploitation of pinned images (''circa 2012'')===
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	===Excessive advertising===		===Excessive advertising===
	For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest,<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref> going as far back as 2015.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160731065104/http://forums.welltrainedmind.com:80/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|archive-date=31 Jul 2016}}</ref> Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>		For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest,<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220425014401/https://old.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|archive-date=25 Apr 2022}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref> going as far back as 2015.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160731065104/http://forums.welltrainedmind.com:80/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|archive-date=31 Jul 2016}}</ref> Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>

	An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250811005013/https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|archive-date=11 Aug 2025}}</ref> The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."		An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250811005013/https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|archive-date=11 Aug 2025}}</ref> The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 7 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-23T07:06:13Z

Added archive URLs for 7 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:06, 23 February 2026
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	*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.		*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.
	*'''Business model''': Profits from affiliate links and advertisements. In May 2025, Pinterest's revenue was up 17%.<ref name="sportsdeal">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty \|title=Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty \|first=Jeff \|last=Beer \|date=29 May 2025 \|work=Fast Company \|access-date=25 Aug 2025 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531134351/https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty \|archive-date=31 May 2025 \|url-status=live}}</ref>		*'''Business model''': Profits from affiliate links and advertisements. In May 2025, Pinterest's revenue was up 17%.<ref name="sportsdeal">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty \|title=Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty \|first=Jeff \|last=Beer \|date=29 May 2025 \|work=Fast Company \|access-date=25 Aug 2025 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531134351/https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty \|archive-date=31 May 2025 \|url-status=live}}</ref>
	*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages}}</ref> Monthly active users in May 2025 was 570 million at its highest.<ref name="sportsdeal" />		*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708203127/https://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|archive-date=8 Jul 2025}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250806043209/https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|archive-date=6 Aug 2025}}</ref> Monthly active users in May 2025 was 570 million at its highest.<ref name="sportsdeal" />

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==
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	<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>		<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>

	The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=8 Mar 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=10 Mar 2025 \|work=Futurism}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.		The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=8 Mar 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=10 Mar 2025 \|work=Futurism \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126183621/https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220708233541/https://old.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|archive-date=8 Jul 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231201063021/https://old.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|archive-date=1 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.

	===Exploitation of pinned images (''circa 2012'')===		===Exploitation of pinned images (''circa 2012'')===
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	===Excessive advertising===		===Excessive advertising===
	For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest,<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref> going as far back as 2015.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community}}</ref> Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>		For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest,<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref> going as far back as 2015.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160731065104/http://forums.welltrainedmind.com:80/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|archive-date=31 Jul 2016}}</ref> Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>

	An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority}}</ref> The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."		An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250811005013/https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|archive-date=11 Aug 2025}}</ref> The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."

	==References==		==References==

Sojourna: Clean-up.

2025-11-04T02:56:31Z

Clean-up.

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:56, 4 November 2025
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	\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.		\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.
	}}		}}
	'''~~[[wikipedia:Pinterest~~\|Pinterest]]''' is a photo-hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, but it changed to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany}}</ref>		'''{{Wplink\|Pinterest}}''' is a photo-hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, but it changed to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany}}</ref>

	~~==Consumer-impact summary==~~

			==Consumer impact summary==
	*'''User freedom''': Absolute; content is rarely taken down unless mass-reported.		*'''User freedom''': Absolute; content is rarely taken down unless mass-reported.
	*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.		*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.
	*'''Business model''': Profits from affiliate links and advertisements. In May 2025, Pinterest's revenue was up 17%.<ref name="sportsdeal">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|title=Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty\|first=Jeff\|last=Beer\|date=2025~~-05-29~~\|work=Fast Company\|access-date=2025~~-08-25~~\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531134351/https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|archive-date=2025~~-05-31~~\|url-status=live}}</ref>		*'''Business model''': Profits from affiliate links and advertisements. In May 2025, Pinterest's revenue was up 17%.<ref name="sportsdeal">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty \|title=Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty \|first=Jeff \|last=Beer \|date=29 May 2025 \|work=Fast Company \|access-date=25 Aug 2025 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531134351/https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty \|archive-date=31 May 2025 \|url-status=live}}</ref>
	*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages}}</ref> Monthly active users in May 2025 was 570 million at its highest.<ref name="sportsdeal" />		*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages}}</ref> Monthly active users in May 2025 was 570 million at its highest.<ref name="sportsdeal" />

Line 20:		Line 19:
	This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].		This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

	===Training of AI based on user-submitted content (2025)===		===Training of AI based on user-submitted content (''2025'')===
	In March of 2025, Pinterest updated their [[terms of service]] (TOS)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web \|title=Privacy Policy \|url=https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314010904/https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|archive-date=14 Mar 2025 \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Pinterest}}</ref> to include a new clause which states:<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=Mar 8, 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=Mar ~~10,~~ 2025 \|work=Futurism}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.		In March 2025, Pinterest updated their [[terms of service]] (TOS)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web \|title=Privacy Policy \|url=https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314010904/https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|archive-date=14 Mar 2025 \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Pinterest}}</ref> to include a new clause which states:

			<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>

			The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=8 Mar 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=10 Mar 2025 \|work=Futurism}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.

			===Exploitation of pinned images (''circa 2012'')===
			As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Monoyios \|first=Kalliopi \|title=Pinterest’s Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word \|url=http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ \|website=Scientific American \|date=19 Mar 2012 \|access-date= \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321213443/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ \|archive-date=21 Mar 2012}}</ref> to:

			<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>

	~~===Exploitation of pinned images (circa 2012)===~~		In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely used by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />
	As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>Kalliopi Monoyios (March 19, 2012). "[http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Pinterest's Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word]". ''Scientific American''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523164313/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Archived] from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 Mar 2025.</ref> to:<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely used by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />

	===Excessive advertising===		===Excessive advertising===
	For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest <ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref>, going as far back as 2015<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community}}</ref>. Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps"<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>.		For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest,<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref> going as far back as 2015.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community}}</ref> Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>

	An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority}}</ref>. The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."		An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority}}</ref> The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."

	==References==		==References==
	{{~~reflist~~}}		{{Reflist}}

	[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]		[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
	~~[[Category:Pinterest]]~~

Beanie Bo: de-linked

2025-09-24T02:45:06Z

de-linked

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:45, 24 September 2025
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	An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority}}</ref>. The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."		An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority}}</ref>. The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."

	~~==See also==~~

	*[[DeviantArt]]

	==References==		==References==

Beanie Bo at 17:55, 16 September 2025

2025-09-16T17:55:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:55, 16 September 2025
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	===Training of AI based on user-submitted content (2025)===		===Training of AI based on user-submitted content (2025)===
	~~:''Further reading: [[Nonconsensual Scraping]]''~~
	In March of 2025, Pinterest updated their [[terms of service]] (TOS)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web \|title=Privacy Policy \|url=https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314010904/https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|archive-date=14 Mar 2025 \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Pinterest}}</ref> to include a new clause which states:<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=Mar 8, 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=Mar 10, 2025 \|work=Futurism}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.		In March of 2025, Pinterest updated their [[terms of service]] (TOS)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web \|title=Privacy Policy \|url=https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314010904/https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|archive-date=14 Mar 2025 \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Pinterest}}</ref> to include a new clause which states:<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=Mar 8, 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=Mar 10, 2025 \|work=Futurism}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.

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	As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>Kalliopi Monoyios (March 19, 2012). "[http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Pinterest's Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word]". ''Scientific American''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523164313/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Archived] from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 Mar 2025.</ref> to:<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely used by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />		As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>Kalliopi Monoyios (March 19, 2012). "[http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Pinterest's Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word]". ''Scientific American''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523164313/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Archived] from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 Mar 2025.</ref> to:<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely used by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />

	=== Excessive advertising ===		===Excessive advertising===
	For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest <ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref>, going as far back as 2015<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community}}</ref>. Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps"<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>.		For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest <ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref>, going as far back as 2015<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community}}</ref>. Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps"<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>.

Beanie Bo: added excessive advertising section

2025-09-16T17:54:15Z

added excessive advertising section

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:54, 16 September 2025
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	===Exploitation of pinned images (circa 2012)===		===Exploitation of pinned images (circa 2012)===
	As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>Kalliopi Monoyios (March 19, 2012). "[http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Pinterest's Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word]". ''Scientific American''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523164313/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Archived] from the original on May ~~23,~~ 2012. Retrieved ~~March~~ 10, 2025.</ref> to:<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely used by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />		As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>Kalliopi Monoyios (March 19, 2012). "[http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Pinterest's Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word]". ''Scientific American''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523164313/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Archived] from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 Mar 2025.</ref> to:<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely used by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />

			=== Excessive advertising ===
			For years, dozens of users have reported excessive advertising on Pinterest <ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022 \|title=Why every single pin is an ad? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/ub9sq0/why_every_single_pin_is_an_ad/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=2024 \|title=Why in the world does Pinterest have so many ads?[...] \|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-in-the-world-does-Pinterest-have-so-many-ads-It-bothers-me-when-I-m-trying-to-look-at-a-recipe-etc-and-all-these-ads-pop-up-Is-there-any-way-to-get-rid-of-those \|website=Quora}}</ref>, going as far back as 2015<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2015 \|title=Has Pinterest gotten much worse since the ads? \|url=https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563260-has-pinterest-gotten-much-worse-since-the-ads/ \|website=The Well-Trained Mind Community}}</ref>. Many online posts describe how the excessive ads ruin the user experience and have led to the abandonment of the platform altogether. One user states, "Due to the bombarding of ads on Pinterest, I went from scrolling through pins for hours to scrolling through pins for less than 5 seconds and then closing the apps"<ref name=":3">{{Cite web \|date=2023 \|title=Increased Amount of Ads on Pinterest? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/18b9vga/increased_amount_of_ads_on_pinterest/ \|website=Reddit}}</ref>.

			An article on Android Authority describes how a platform for hobbies and crafts turned into a hub for discovering products (often on Amazon), which first began around 2013 and was then ramped up two years later as the platform shifted to a social e-commerce site<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Dalul \|first=Suzana \|date=20 Feb 2020 \|title=Pinterest: How a once inspiring social media app was ruined by ads \|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/pinterest-ads-1065432/ \|website=Android Authority}}</ref>. The platform even introduced a feature called Shoppable Pins, which uses hovering to show items in a picture while linking to external retail sites. These Shoppable Pins are treated as content rather than advertisements, which the article then goes on to say, "This is dishonest and misleading, and makes for an even worse experience than constantly being bombarded by pins from popular brands any time you search for something."

	==See also==		==See also==

Mingyee: Minor copyediting

2025-08-27T12:34:53Z

Minor copyediting

Mr Pollo at 14:16, 25 August 2025

2025-08-25T14:16:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:16, 25 August 2025
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	*'''User freedom''': Absolute; content is rarely taken down unless mass-reported.		*'''User freedom''': Absolute; content is rarely taken down unless mass-reported.
	*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.		*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.
	*'''Business model''': Profits off of affiliate links and advertisements.		*'''Business model''': Profits off of affiliate links and advertisements. In May 2025, Pinterest's revenue was up 17%.<ref name="sportsdeal">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|title=Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty\|first=Jeff\|last=Beer\|date=2025-05-29\|work=Fast Company\|access-date=2025-08-25\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531134351/https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|archive-date=2025-05-31\|url-status=live}}</ref>
	*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages}}		*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages}}</ref> Monthly active users in May 2025 was 570 million at its highest.<ref name="sportsdeal" />
	</ref>

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==

Mr Pollo at 01:34, 28 July 2025

2025-07-28T01:34:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:34, 28 July 2025
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			{{StubNotice}}
	{{CompanyCargo		{{CompanyCargo
	\|Founded=2009		\|Founded=2009
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	\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.		\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.
	}}		}}
	~~{{StubNotice}}{{InfoboxCompany~~		'''[[wikipedia:Pinterest\|Pinterest]]''' is a photo hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, however it transitioned to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany}}</ref>
	~~\| Name = {{PAGENAME}}~~
	~~\| Type =Public~~
	~~\| Founded =2009~~
	~~\| Industry =Social media service~~
	~~\| Official Website =https://pinterest.com/~~
	~~\| Logo =Pinterest.svg~~
	}}'''[[wikipedia:Pinterest\|Pinterest]]''' is a photo hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, however it transitioned to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==

Mr Pollo at 01:34, 28 July 2025

2025-07-28T01:34:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:34, 28 July 2025
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			{{CompanyCargo
			\|Founded=2009
			\|Industry=Social media service
			\|Logo=Pinterest.svg
			\|Type=Public
			\|Website=https://pinterest.com/
			\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.
			}}
	{{StubNotice}}{{InfoboxCompany		{{StubNotice}}{{InfoboxCompany
	\| Name = {{PAGENAME}}		\| Name = {{PAGENAME}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:34, 27 August 2025
Line 8:		Line 8:
	\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.		\|Description=Photo sharing website founded in 2009 where users can "pin" various images to their profile and add them to collections.
	}}		}}
	'''[[wikipedia:Pinterest\|Pinterest]]''' is a photo hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, ~~however~~ it ~~transitioned~~ to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany}}</ref>		'''[[wikipedia:Pinterest\|Pinterest]]''' is a photo-hosting service and company started by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in December 2009. It was initially intended to function as a digital version of traditional catalogs, but it changed to being an image host shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Baribeau \|first=Simone \|date=23 Oct 2012 \|title=The Pinterest Pivot \|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Fastcompany}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer-impact summary==

	*'''User freedom''': Absolute; content is rarely taken down unless mass-reported.		*'''User freedom''': Absolute; content is rarely taken down unless mass-reported.
	*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.		*'''User privacy''': Questionable; private boards can be accessed by staff.
	*'''Business model''': Profits ~~off of~~ affiliate links and advertisements. In May 2025, Pinterest's revenue was up 17%.<ref name="sportsdeal">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|title=Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty\|first=Jeff\|last=Beer\|date=2025-05-29\|work=Fast Company\|access-date=2025-08-25\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531134351/https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|archive-date=2025-05-31\|url-status=live}}</ref>		*'''Business model''': Profits from affiliate links and advertisements. In May 2025, Pinterest's revenue was up 17%.<ref name="sportsdeal">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|title=Pinterest just signed its first sports deal ever with the New York Liberty\|first=Jeff\|last=Beer\|date=2025-05-29\|work=Fast Company\|access-date=2025-08-25\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531134351/https://www.fastcompany.com/91341737/pinterest-just-signed-its-first-sports-deal-ever-with-the-new-york-liberty\|archive-date=2025-05-31\|url-status=live}}</ref>
	*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages}}</ref> Monthly active users in May 2025 was 570 million at its highest.<ref name="sportsdeal" />		*'''Market control''': Dominant; overrides original sources in image searches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Orsini \|first=Lauren Rae \|date=2 Jun 2021 \|title=Print-erest unphased by Pinterest call-out \|url=http://www.dailydot.com/business/print-erest-printerest-pinterest-response/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Daily Dot}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|last=Giannini \|first=Sterin \|date=28 Apr 2016 \|title=Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations? \|url=https://discover.hubpages.com/technology/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Hub Pages}}</ref> Monthly active users in May 2025 was 570 million at its highest.<ref name="sportsdeal" />

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==
	This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].		This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

	===Training of AI based on user-submitted content (2025)===		===Training of AI based on user-submitted content (2025)===
	Further ~~Reading~~: [[Nonconsensual Scraping~~\|Nonconsensual scraping~~]]		:''Further reading: [[Nonconsensual Scraping]]''
	In March of 2025, Pinterest updated their TOS<ref name=":2">{{Cite web \|title=Privacy Policy \|url=https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314010904/https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|archive-date=14 Mar 2025 \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Pinterest}}</ref> to include a new clause which states:<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=Mar 8, 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=Mar 10, 2025 \|work=Futurism}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be ~~utilized~~ to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.		In March of 2025, Pinterest updated their [[terms of service]] (TOS)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web \|title=Privacy Policy \|url=https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250314010904/https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy-preview \|archive-date=14 Mar 2025 \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Pinterest}}</ref> to include a new clause which states:<blockquote>Improve the products and services of our family of companies and offer new features. For example, using information to train, develop and improve our technology such as our machine learning models, regardless of when Pins were posted. This includes, for example, Pinterest’s body type technology, which is trained on images in Pins posted to our Services.</blockquote>The vagueness of this new clause rightfully brings concern,<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Harrison \|first=Maggie \|date=Mar 8, 2025 \|title=Pinterest Changes User Terms So It Can Train AI on User Data and Photos, Regardless of When They Were Posted \|url=https://futurism.com/pinterest-data-photos-train-ai \|access-date=Mar 10, 2025 \|work=Futurism}}</ref> as Pinterest has been well-known to host stolen content.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Unknown \|date=9 Jul 2022 \|title=People are stealing my photos what can i do? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/vuns1z/people_are_stealing_my_photos_what_can_i_do/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=u/ShadedWizard \|date=25 Nov 2023 \|title=HELP: How do I report stolen Pins? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pinterest/comments/183gceg/help_how_do_i_report_stolen_pins/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|via=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Petrina \|date=8 Dec 2024 \|title=Dealing with Stolen Pinterest Pins or Blog Content: A Guide for Content Creators \|url=https://brandingforsmes.com/dealing-with-stolen-pinterest-pins-or-blog-content-a-guide-for-content-creators/ \|access-date=22 Mar 2025 \|website=Branding For Smes}}</ref> This suggests that user-generated works may have been collected and used for AI training purposes without explicit consent. Such data could be used to train Pinterest's own AI models or sold as training data to other companies developing AI technologies.

	===Exploitation of pinned images (circa 2012)===		===Exploitation of pinned images (circa 2012)===
	As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>Kalliopi Monoyios (March 19, 2012). "[http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Pinterest's Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word]". ''Scientific American''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523164313/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Archived] from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2025.</ref> to:<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely ~~utilized~~ by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />		As content from creators are nonconsensually "pinned" to the platform, since 2012,<ref name=":1" /> if not earlier, Pinterest claims rights inside its TOS<ref name=":2" /><ref>Kalliopi Monoyios (March 19, 2012). "[http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Pinterest's Terms of Service, Word by Terrifying Word]". ''Scientific American''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523164313/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/2012/03/19/pinterests-terms-of-service-word-by-terrifying-word/ Archived] from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2025.</ref> to:<blockquote>By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.</blockquote>In simpler terms, this means that any content uploaded to Pinterest can be freely used by the platform and its users in any manner. Given the platform's history of hosting content without explicit consent, this raises concerns that creators' works may be overridden in search feeds<ref name=":0" /> and copyrights overridden for unauthorized purposes by other publishers.<ref name=":0" />

	==See also==		==See also==