Scribd Takes Steps to Protect Its Content from Data Crawling

Changes to Scribd's Terms of Service Clarify Use of Data by Large Language Models and Continue to Safeguard Publishers' Content

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Scribd, the reading subscription service that offers access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, podcasts, and more, has clarified how its data may be used in an update to its Terms of Service. The update emphasizes that Scribd's users, subscribers, and partner companies may not utilize the company's data for monetization or to train large language models without Scribd's explicit consent. Additionally, Scribd confirmed that it has not allowed any companies that train large language models (LLMs) to use full content provided by its publishing partners, which is only available through its digital subscription service.

"Our library is home to hundreds of millions of amazing, human-authored pieces of content, making it one of the most valuable and sought-after data resources," said Trip Adler, co-founder and CEO of Scribd. "Our library's quality sets us apart, and to safeguard its content, we have outlined use cases in our Terms of Service that control how and when other companies can use our data."

The company will continue to prioritize the interests of publishers that participate in its subscription service, its base of creators who upload their own content to the platform, and the entire Scribd community. This is in addition to some of the existing measures already in place such as BookID, Scribd's automated approach to protecting copyrighted materials.

Companies interested in learning more about Scribd's data or changes to its terms of service, which apply to Scribd's user-generated, premium subscription and SlideShare libraries can contact datainquiries@scribd.com for more information.

ABOUT SCRIBD 
Scribd is the reading subscription service that's building one of the largest and most accessible libraries connecting storytellers with their audience. For $11.99 a month, Scribd offers access to some of the best ebooks, audiobooks, documents, magazine articles, podcasts, and presentations. Scribd works directly with publishers to constantly add new content to the platform and provide its subscribers with high-quality and personalized reading recommendations. Scribd's goal is to inspire curiosity and learning through its diverse range of content, which amplifies important topics and underrepresented authors. The app is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as web browsers and Apple Watch.

SOURCE Scribd