Erin Kissane

> Dropbox web interface
>> account icon in top right
>>> Settings
>>>> Third-party AI
>>>>> Off

(You do you! But this is how to opt out.)

ETA: They're mid-rollout and I don't think they've said which regions and tiers will eventually be affected, YMMV

Dec 13, 2023 at 6:34pmWeb
Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
Also, I sure do have questions about how opt-outs work for shared files!
Show threadAndrew ZonenbergDec 13, 2023

@kissane Legitimately curious: does anyone actually *use* all of these "AI" features everyone seems to be building into their software (presumably at the expense of more useful stuff)?

Or is it all just helping some marketing manager stay Buzzword 3.0 compliant?

(EDIT: I'm not asking if they actually deliver useful results rather than LLM hallucinations if used, I'm wondering if anyone even tries to use them in the first place or if everyone ignores them)

Show threadJason Santa MariaDec 13, 2023
@kissane Opt... out? Feels like a weird thing to want to do ever
Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023

@jasonsantamaria FEED ME TO THE ROBOTS JASON

🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖

Show threadPaul HoffmanDec 13, 2023
@kissane I'm just deleting all my files, then my account. The slope is downwards for them.
Show threadJ. Nathan Matias 🦣Dec 13, 2023
@kissane I am so glad CAT Lab decided years ago not to use Dropbox to store private human subjects data. O_O
Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
@natematias There are so many medical and legal documents on there. Sooooo many.
Show threadJ. Nathan Matias 🦣Dec 13, 2023

@kissane 🫠

I hate to always be that guy who questions whether projects should use the popular but privacy-risky tool, and then every year or two something like this happens.

Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
@natematias "I would really love to be wrong, but…" is also my gross bitter jam.
Show threadTed MielczarekDec 13, 2023
@natematias @kissane fully agree. I've been fortunate to work at companies that draw a clear distinction between "customer data" and "our data", with rules in place to prevent conflating the two. Just because your customers' data resides on systems you control doesn't suddenly make it your data!
Show threadOfficer-involved poopingDec 13, 2023
@kissane what's it supposed to even *do*?
I'm baffled as to how AI can help me share files.
Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
@AKPAB I think the bet is that lots of people want to "chat with their documents."
Show threadRyanDec 13, 2023

@kissane Thank you!

These default-on settings are like whack-a-mole.

Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
@laze I feel increasingly beset!
Show threadAki the Conqueror 🦓Dec 13, 2023

@kissane I recognize that Dropbox has a product with limited competitors and an ecosystem that lots of people are kind of stuck with.

And also Dropbox has such a history of bad behavior that I have so thoroughly written them off that I’m surprised when I see them come up in conversation from a user’s perspective.

Regardless, thanks for the PSA for how people can attempt to opt out of yet another shitty move on their part.

Show threadFabiDec 13, 2023
@aki @kissane I can recommend sync.com. They have a zero-knowledge policy and it's not located in the US. So your data is more save anyway
Show threadAki the Conqueror 🦓Dec 13, 2023

@share_sun @kissane I try to avoid unsolicited recommendations because there are so many different use-cases that people might have.

Personally I use Resilio Sync because I have a NAS and multiple computers, so can avoid using anyone else’s servers for my own data.

Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
@aki I’d personally love to never see that goddamn logo again but I still have obligations that involve it
Show threadLewis EdwardsDec 13, 2023
@kissane Thank you for educating us. This stuff should all be opt-in, not opt-out!
Show threadDavid - Forking MadDec 13, 2023
@kissane Far quicker just to uninstall 🤔
Show threadhazelnot Dec 13, 2023
@kissane Huh, I don't have that tab in my settings o.o
Show threadAnarchozionist/DatenproletDec 13, 2023

@kissane

Or you simply delete your account altogether and move to a #Nextcloud instance of your choice.

https://help.dropbox.com/account-access/delete-account

https://github.com/nextcloud/providers#providers

How to delete your Dropbox account

Deleting your Dropbox account deletes all of your account and file data and can't be undone. Learn how to permanently delete a Dropbox account.

Show threadryanDec 13, 2023
@kissane Thank you for the reminder I still need to port all the data out of my dormant account and douse it in gasoline
Show threadAndy MouseDec 13, 2023

@kissane

Ah, yes. Press the little button that Dropbox gave you to press. That ought to do it.

Show threadChris DickinsonDec 13, 2023

@kissane thank you for this – I keep all of my personal notes in dropbox and... ugh, I really don't want them used as training data.

How scummy of them that this defaults to enabled; moving off of dropbox just jumped up my todo list.

Show threadDeborah PickettDec 13, 2023
LB 👆🏻 If you (have to) use Dropbox, check for this toggle. In Australia for paying individual users, it wasn’t there a month ago but was there a week ago. If it’s not present, bookmark Erin’s post for when it does appear.
Show threadDandelionDec 14, 2023
@futzle I'm just going to fill mine up with smut and gigabytes of counter factuals about spiders.
Show threadSpaceLifeFormDec 13, 2023

@kissane

Someone needs to have a chat with DropBox.

Oh. wait.

Leave. Do NOT use.

Show threadJoshua HallerDec 13, 2023
@kissane hasn’t rolled out for me but considering I haven’t used it I years… just gonna delete the old photos and keep the account
Show threadintermobility_berlin 🌻🇪🇺Dec 13, 2023
@kissane … or stop using Dropbox altogether, if that’s an option. pCloud is providing decent service AFAICT and they even offer the option to store your data on servers that a physically located in the EU (Luxembourg).
Show threaddevoluteDec 13, 2023
@kissane I don't see this yet, but what I do see is I still have the Dropbox app installed on Android and I rarely use it so that can just jump right in the bin.
Show threadajft [SEC=continvoucly morged]Dec 13, 2023
@kissane no such options visible for me, perhaps its only turned on for the USA?
Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
@ajft It’s in several countries at least, based on the replies I’m getting, but as noted, they’re mid-rollout, so idk what is coming soon vs. what’s just not happening, and they haven’t been transparent about it afaik 🤷🏻
Show threadajft [SEC=continvoucly morged]Dec 13, 2023
@kissane thanks, yes, should have read to the bottoom of the all the replies before i did! Will keep an eye on dropbox to see if it appears ... or maybe finally getting around to it and using something else for moving things around
Show threadErin KissaneDec 13, 2023
@ajft (Ahh I bet you’re on a service that doesn’t show the info I edited into the original post—I always forgot that that happens)
Show threadDeborah PickettDec 14, 2023
@ajft Definitely on for some in Australia. @kissane
Show threadTsadiqDec 13, 2023
@kissane what the heck is AI supposed to help me with storing files?! Gosh I'm getting so bored with all this nonsensical bull crap getting added absolutely everywhere. At least a real good reason to leave Dropbox, I guess 🙄
Show threadBrentDec 14, 2023
@kissane 💯 should be opt-in. Thanks for sharing!
Show threadPaulDec 14, 2023

@kissane thanks for this. It wasn't there last time I looked but was now

Switched to off