# WeTransfer Founder Launches Boomerang Amid AI Backlash
In a bold move amid widespread outrage over WeTransfer's controversial AI terms, co-founder Ronald Hans (known as Nalden) has unveiled Boomerang, a new file-sharing service promising to "champion creativity, not steal it." The launch comes as creative professionals flock to alternatives following WeTransfer's policy changes under new owner Bending Spoons.[1][2][4]
The Spark: WeTransfer's AI Clause Ignites User Fury
WeTransfer's troubles began on July 1, 2025, when the company announced updated terms of service effective August 8, including a clause granting a perpetual, royalty-free license to use uploaded content for "machine learning models that enhance content moderation." Creatives, including architects, marketers, and agencies, feared their intellectual property could fuel AI training without consent, prompting a social media storm between July 14-15.[2][3][5]
Ronald Hans publicly slammed the changes as a "slap in the face," blaming Bending Spoons' push toward a stock market listing and AI strategy to inflate valuation. "It's a numbers game. It’s not about creativity or people," he told NRC, expressing regret over WeTransfer's shift from its user-centric roots.[1][5] Competitors like Filecap and Secudoc reported surges in signups, with law firms citing GDPR non-compliance concerns.[2]
WeTransfer's Response and the Rise of Alternatives
Facing backlash, WeTransfer quickly revised its terms on July 15, 2025, removing AI and machine learning references and clarifying it does not use content for training purposes. The company described the updates as making "language easier to understand" to quell confusion.[1][3][5]
Yet the damage was done, eroding years of built trust—"Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair," Hans posted. This paved the way for alternatives, with Hans emerging from retirement to develop Boomerang alongside other tools like newsletter app Rumicat.[1][4] Services like Filecap noted dozens of inquiries from creative firms seeking privacy-focused options.[2]
Boomerang: A Creator-First File-Sharing Revolution
Boomerang, co-founded by Hans, positions itself as a "simple file-sharing service (again)" emphasizing privacy, simplicity, and creativity. Its website highlights minimalist design with features like file tracking and expiration dates, directly countering WeTransfer's missteps.[2][3][4][8]
Hans announced Boomerang publicly after foreseeing the controversy, though it's still in development: "Just a little more patience." Early buzz on platforms like LinkedIn and Elektronauts has users signing up at boomerang.zip, drawn to its anti-AI stance amid growing demands for ethical tech.[1][4][8] As a WeTransfer veteran, Hans leverages his experience to rebuild what he sees as lost goodwill.[1][6]
Broader Implications for AI in Creative Tech
The saga underscores tensions between AI innovation and creator rights, with private equity pressures accelerating controversial policies. While WeTransfer backpedaled, the incident boosted rivals and highlighted GDPR risks for global users. Hans' Boomerang taps into this shift, potentially reshaping file-sharing as creators prioritize control over convenience.[2][5][7]
Boomerang's launch signals a creator-led backlash, with Hans predicting connected "dots" in brand strategy for 2026, emphasizing human-centric tools over algorithmic exploitation.[6]
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the WeTransfer AI backlash?
WeTransfer's July 1, 2025, terms update included a clause allowing use of uploaded content for machine learning, alarming creatives over IP risks; it was revised on July 15 after social media outcry.[2][3][5]
Who is Ronald Hans and what is Boomerang?
Ronald Hans (Nalden) is WeTransfer's Dutch co-founder; Boomerang is his new privacy-focused file-sharing service that "champions creativity, not steals it," currently in development.[1][2][4]
Did WeTransfer actually use user files for AI training?
No, WeTransfer clarified it does not use content for AI training and removed related terms following user feedback.[1][3][5]
When did the WeTransfer controversy happen?
Key events: terms announced July 1, backlash July 14-15, revisions July 15, all in 2025.[5]
How is Boomerang different from WeTransfer?
Boomerang emphasizes simplicity, privacy, and no AI data grabs, with features like file expiration, built by WeTransfer's original co-founder.[3][4][8]
Are there other alternatives to WeTransfer post-backlash?
Yes, services like Filecap and Secudoc saw increased signups from agencies and law firms seeking GDPR-compliant options.[2]
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 6:10:24 PM
Boomerang’s launch by WeTransfer co‑founder Ronald “Nalden” Hans sparked a wave of public support from creatives who felt betrayed by WeTransfer’s earlier AI‑terms controversy, with the Boomerang signup page reporting thousands of visits within hours and multiple creatives posting praise on LinkedIn and Twitter for a “service that champions creativity, not steals it” [1][2]. Critics of WeTransfer — including vocal threads on social platforms and industry outlets that pushed the company to remove AI language from its July terms — called Boomerang a necessary alternative, quoting Hans: “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair,”
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 6:20:24 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Consumer Backlash Fuels Support for Boomerang Amid WeTransfer AI Controversy**
Creative professionals erupted in outrage over WeTransfer's July 2025 terms update, which granted a "perpetual, royalty-free licence" to use uploaded files for machine learning, sparking a social media outcry that forced the company to revise terms on July 15 and confirm no AI training occurs[2][5]. Users, especially from design and media industries, flooded forums like Elektronauts with fury, calling it a betrayal, while co-founder Nalden (Ronald Hans) reported "creatives reaching out to share their frustration" and launched Boomerang with the motto "champions creativity, not steals it"[
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 6:30:26 PM
Users and creatives reacted with swift outrage after WeTransfer’s July terms change, with thousands posting on social platforms and designers reporting a spike in sign-ups for alternatives such as Boomerang, which its founder Nalden billed as “a simple file‑sharing service… One that champions creativity, not steals it.”[5][1] Industry coverage described an “uproar” that forced WeTransfer to amend its terms and issue clarifications, and commenters called the update a “slap in the face,” prompting founders and users to seek privacy‑focused replacements like Boomerang that promise minimal data collection and no advertising.[2][3]
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 6:40:26 PM
**LIVE NEWS UPDATE: WeTransfer Founder Launches Boomerang Amid AI Backlash**
Market reactions to WeTransfer co-founder Ronald Hans' (Nalden) Boomerang launch have been muted with no direct stock price movements reported for parent company Bending Spoons, which is privately held ahead of a potential listing[1][3][5]. Alternative file transfer services saw increased user signups on July 17-18, 2025, following the AI terms controversy, signaling a shift in creative user loyalty[5]. Hans criticized the AI push as a "numbers game" by Bending Spoons to boost valuation, posting, “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair,” amid the backlash
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 6:50:25 PM
**LIVE NEWS UPDATE: WeTransfer Founder Launches Boomerang Amid AI Backlash**
Market reactions to WeTransfer co-founder Ronald Hans' Boomerang launch have been swift, with alternative file transfer services reporting **increased user signups** on July 17-18, 2025, following the AI terms controversy.[5] No direct stock price movements for WeTransfer parent Bending Spoons were detailed, though Hans criticized their private equity push toward a **stock market listing** requiring an "AI strategy to boost valuation."[3] Users from creative industries continue flocking to login-free options like Boomerang, signaling ongoing backlash.[1][2]
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 7:00:31 PM
**LIVE NEWS UPDATE: WeTransfer Founder Launches Boomerang Amid AI Backlash**
No regulatory or government responses have been reported to the WeTransfer AI terms controversy that prompted co-founder Ronald Hans (Nalden) to launch Boomerang[1][2][3][5]. WeTransfer addressed the July 2025 backlash—sparked by a July 1 terms update granting perpetual licenses for "machine learning models"—by revising terms on July 15, removing all AI references and stating, “We’re here to address these concerns... no such system is currently in place”[2][4][5]. Hans criticized the changes as a “slap in the face” driven by owner Bending Spoons' AI strateg
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 7:10:23 PM
**LIVE NEWS UPDATE: WeTransfer Founder Launches Boomerang Amid AI Backlash**
No regulatory or government responses have emerged to the WeTransfer AI terms controversy, which prompted co-founder Ronald Hans (Nalden) to launch Boomerang as a privacy-focused alternative[1][2][3]. WeTransfer revised its terms on **July 15, 2025**, removing all AI and machine learning references after user outcry over a **July 1** clause granting perpetual licenses for content moderation models, but officials have not commented[4][5]. Hans criticized the changes as a "slap in the face" driven by owner Bending Spoons' AI strategy for valuation[3].
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 7:20:24 PM
Boomerang’s launch drew swift public attention, with creatives and former WeTransfer users praising its privacy-first pitch and spike in signups after July’s TOS uproar — social posts and niche forums reported thousands of users migrating to alternatives within days of the controversy, and Boomerang’s site advertises free and paid plans to capture that demand[1][7][5]. Critics on LinkedIn and Twitter hailed co‑founder Nalden’s statement that Boomerang “champions creativity, not steals it,” while many former WeTransfer customers called the new service a “breath of fresh air” amid anger over the company’s earlier AI licensing language and
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 7:30:24 PM
WeTransfer co‑founder Ronald “Nalden” Hans has launched Boomerang, a minimalist file‑sharing service that allows transfers without login and promises to “champion creativity, not steal it,” following widespread backlash over WeTransfer’s July 2025 terms that users feared would allow content to be used for AI training[1][2]. Nalden told TechCrunch he wants “a tool that works for users” with no advertising and minimal data collection, and Boomerang is live on the web with a Mac app planned soon, as demand for alternatives surged after WeTransfer revised its terms and laid off large parts of its staff earlier this year[
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 7:40:22 PM
Boomerang’s launch is already reshaping the file-transfer market: within weeks of Boomerang going live, at least two legacy rivals and three smaller privacy-focused services reported spike in signups as agencies and creatives sought alternatives to WeTransfer after its AI-terms backlash, with industry sources saying registrations rose “dozens” per firm and enquiries from architectural and marketing agencies increased substantially[3][1]. Nalden said Boomerang will avoid ads and collect “the least amount of data” while keeping a barebones, no-login experience—a direct competitive pivot that experts say could force incumbents to roll back aggressive AI-licensing terms or introduce clearer opt
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 7:50:24 PM
WeTransfer co-founder Ronald Hans (aka Nalden) has launched **Boomerang**, a minimalist file-sharing service with no login required, free for light users and paid subscriptions for heavy ones, explicitly rejecting ads and user-facing AI amid backlash against WeTransfer's July 2025 terms update that sparked fears of content being used for AI training.[1][2][3][6] The controversy peaked after WeTransfer's acquisition by Bending Spoons in 2024, which led to **75% staff layoffs** and a hasty terms reversal on July 15, 2025, following social media uproar from creatives.[2][4][6] Nalden told TechCrunch, “Why do tech companies always mak
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 8:00:41 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: WeTransfer Founder Launches Boomerang Amid AI Backlash**
WeTransfer co-founder Nalden (Ronald Hans) has launched Boomerang as a direct, no-login alternative, explicitly positioning it between "email attachments and full-blown cloud drives" with unlimited collaborators per team space and a no-ads model to restore simplicity lost post-Bending Spoons acquisition.[1][3][7] The service arrives amid competitive shifts, as rivals like Filecap report "dozens of companies" from architectural firms and marketing agencies inquiring, while Secudoc notes surging registrations from law firms citing WeTransfer's GDPR issues—trends that spiked after the firm's July 2025 AI training clause backlash and 7