Stack Overflow bans users for altering answers to protest OpenAI deal

Date:
Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
Stack Overflow users are protesting about the use of their data as part of
the new OpenAI partnership, resulting in short bans.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

The recent announcement of a new partnership between OpenAI and Stack
Overflow has sparked controversy in the developer community, and Stack Overflow isnt happy.

The collaboration grants OpenAI access to Stack Overflows API and developer feedback, while Stack Overflow will benefit from OpenAIs generative AI expertise.

However, the partnership has since raised concerns among users who feel that their data could be being exploited without them giving consent. Stack Overflow user protests

Reports have now emerged of users attempting to delete their posts in
protest, only to find that their accounts have been suspended.

Epic Games designer Ben shared his experience on decentralized social network platform Mastodon, revealing that his attempt to edit his highly-rated
answers with a protest message led to his account being suspended by Stack Overflows moderators.

Although the platform has a policy against post deletion, users have
expressed dissatisfaction with the new partnership, believing that a change
in services should see the companys terms and conditions revisited.

Ben shared on Mastodon that the edited post had reverted to its original content within an hour, with his account being suspended for seven days.

He added: [The moderator crackdown is] just a reminder that anything you post on any of these platforms can and will be used for profit.

A section in Stack Overflows policy reads: This means that you cannot revoke permission for Stack Overflow to publish, distribute, store and use such content and to allow others to have derivative rights to publish, distribute, store and use such content.

However, users have cited the right to forget, which forms part of the EU GDPR.

TechRadar Pro has asked Stack Overflow to comment on the unravelling situation, but we did not receive an immediate response.

Via Tom's Hardware More from TechRadar Pro Check out the best productivity tools Weve rounded up a list of the best online collaboration tools Facebook will now let your business create entire ad campaigns using AI



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/stack-overflow-bans-users-for-altering-answers-t o-protest-openai-deal


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