- Reason 1: Lock-in Effect
- Reason 2: Data Profiling
- Reason 3: Security Issues
- Reason 4: Terms & Conditions
- Reason 5: Sanctions and the Abuse of Power
- Reason 6: Alternative software does exist!
term7
Reason 1: Lock-In Effect
Concerns about Adobe's Business Model
"In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs."
Wikipedia
This is the story of Josef K. He used to be an art student. During his time at the Academy, he started to use Adobe Software to edit videos, photographs and to design booklets, flyers, his portfolio and his website. At the Academy all media workshops were using the latest Adobe Creative Cloud. There he could use the software for free. Adobe software is very good, efficient and user-friendly, especially if there are workshop assistants who can explain how to use it. Great! However, the opening hours of the media workshop were not so great and it was always too crowded. Sometimes all workstations were occupied for days, which could become a real problem if you were approaching an important deadline. This is why Josef K. decided to get his own Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for an amzing student price.
Two years later he graduated from art school: Master of Fine Arts (with distinction).
Some of the projects he had started during his studies were not finished then and there were upcoming exhibitions. New projects followed constantly. So after he graduated, Josef K. kept using Adobe CC as a freelance artist, even though the price for his supscription had almost tripled since he was no longer a student. For an artist who does not make a lot of money with art, this is a very steep price development. It is really frustrating that at the Academy they do not tell you about alternatives to Adobe. Nobody warns you that the software will become really expensive once you graduate and nobody informs you about free and open soure software (FOSS), not even about other proprietary software that may be cheaper than Adobe, because Adobe offers this easy all-in-one solution that covers all creative needs. Furthermore universities often get Adobe Creative Could for a very good price, there are even university partnerships - which mainly is good for Adobe, because that way it is really easy to lock a new genereration of creative customers into Adobe's eco-system. Students start to use it - and soon they depend on it. Adobe software is not compatible with other software. If you use Adobe, you have to finish your projects using Adobe. Even worse, if you work with an older version of Adobe CC on your computer, but at university they use the latest version, then the project you started in the media workshop may not be compatible with the version on your laptop. You may have to upgrade first!
It is hard to break out of the Adobe eco-system, because you first need to finish your existing projects with Adobe and then gradually switch to new software. In the process you loose access to your old Adobe projects. This can be quite a hassle and the learning curve is steep.
Yet for most young artists, there comes a point when it is just not feasable anymore to use Adobe CC, unless you make enough profit with your creative projects. For most young artists, this is almost impossible. Furthermore it is not possible to subscribe only to the desktop apps without all the cloud products like Cloud Storage, Adobe Behance, Adobe Stock, etc. It always is included in Adobe CC and you pay for this service, even if you don't want to use it...
This is first reason why Josef K. decided to cancel his Adobe CC subscription. In order to do this he followed the official instructions:
https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/using/cancel-subscription.html
He logged into his account and clicked on the button that said: [Manage Plan]. Then he provided a short summary why he wanted to cancel his subscription and Adobe offered him an extra month of free usage instead, which Josef accepted. Wow, thank you Adobe!
But this neither solved the problem that the subscription in general was too expensive. Yet it bought him another month to look for alternative software. At least he thought it did. Finally, in early December 2019, Josef K. logged back into his account to finally cancel his subscription for good, only to realize that the [Manage Plan] button had disappeared from his account.
Now the only way to cancel his subscription was to contact customer support. Because he was suspicious, he took screenshots of the whole conversation. Here is the transcript of the whole chat:
Adobe Customer Care Virtual Assistant: Hi. I am the Adobe Customer Care Virtual Assistant. Tell me what you need help with. I'll do my best to understand and find the right person to assist you.
Josef K.: I want to cancel my Adobe CC subscription, however the option to do so has disappeared from my personal Adobe Account page.
Adobe Customer Care Virtual Assistant: Ok. Connecting you to an agent who can help.
Gagan: Hello Josef, I'll be happy to assist you. May I know why you wish to cancel your subscription?
Josef K.: I am an artist and Adobe CC is too expensive for me. Furthermore I am only using the software on my computer, I am not a fan of Adobe Stock, Behance or Cloud Storage. I do everything locally on my computer and Adobe offers a lot of services that I am paying for but that I definitely don't need. The software is great - though as an artist I cannot afford it anymore which is why I am going to use FOSS.
Gagan: Can you please confirm me your Adobe account email?
Josef K.: josef.k[at]gmx.co.uk
Gagan: This email address not registered with Adobe account.
Josef K.: josef.k[at]gmx.co.uk - this definitely is my account login email that I use to log in! I am logged in right now. Why did the option to cancel my subscription disappear from my account page?
Gagan: Let me check what best I can do for you.
Josef K.: Are you still there?
Gagan: I would like to inform you that please contact us back because we are getting some technical issue right now.
Josef K.: Ok? When?
Gagan: After one hours. Please wait. Still getting some techincal issue so please contact us after one hour.
Josef K.: Ok, I will leave this chat open and I'll wait.
A forced break. Quite some time passes...
Gagan: Alright then. As I can see under your account you have Creative Cloud all apps and if you wish to continue this plan so I can offer you discounted rate CC all apps GBP 30.34
Josef K.: Great offer, but this is still too expensive for me right now. I am not using all of these apps (I do use InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere + Media Encoder, Photoshop + Lightroom and Dreamweaver). More apps I don't need and I already found some free and open source alternatives that are maybe not as good as Adobe, but they work for now.
Gagan: Since you have an annual plan, a cancellation fee of 50% of your remaining months applies if you cancel now. Would you like to keep your membership?
Josef K.: What does that mean? That I have to pay 50% until March without being able to use the Software?
Gagan: Your next renewal date is 11th March 2020. You can cancel this plan one month prior from the next renewal date without any early termination fee.
Josef K.: And the discount you just offered me also is only available as an annual subscription? Is a monthly subscription possible?
There are a few things that I think are just not ok right now: first, I started the subscription I have as a student. Adobe had an amazing prize for students back then. After I finished my studies I started to pay the full price. It is crazy that you only allow me to opt out of the subscription, which I have been a paying for since March 2015, during one month before it is renewed automatically.
Then you still haven't answered my the question why the cancellation option disappeared from my account page? I feel like Adobe tries to force its customers into dependencies, which is not ok.
If I have to pay a fee of 50% for each month until March without being able to use the software at all, it is not really worth to cancel right now.
Gagan: Adobe values you as a customer, so I'm going to cancel the subscription and waive your cancellation fee. We hope you'll use Adobe products again in future.
Josef K.: I might if I FOSS turns out to be too unreliable, if Adobe changes its policy and if it becomes more affordable.
Gagan: So shall I go ahead and cancel your plan?
Josef K.: Yes please.
Gagan: We have successfully cancelled your Creative Cloud all apps plan.
Josef K.: Thank you very much.
Gagan: Happy to help. You'll receive an email with a survey link. Please take a moment to rate your experience and help us improve. Thanks!
Josef K. initially had a monthly subscription - which was his student subscription. When did the change happen? After he graduated! At the same moment when the price for his subscription trippled, it was changed into an annual subscription. Josef K. did not notice the change, because he was too busy with his projects and shocked by the steep price development. He failed to read the fineprint. Neither did he read the whole privacy policy. Who has the time to do that?
During our research we found similar stories. Here is one example:
262588213843476
Reason 2: Data Profiling
Concerns about online privacy
"Data profiling is the process of examining the data available from an existing information source (e.g. a database or a file) and collecting statistics or informative summaries about that data."
Wikipedia
PRIVACY CONCERNS
Adobe collects enough information about you to build a detailed data profile about you. I.e. when you register in order to subscribe to Adobe CC, whenever you use their software or visit their websites. Adobe then proceeds to infer more data about you, i.e. by linking it with data they receive from information service providers. Here a view bullet boints - a short exerpt of their Privacy Declaration to show you the scope of their data collection:
[...]
Adobe ID, registration, and customer support
When you register to use an Adobe Service, create an Adobe ID, purchase a license to our Services and Software, or contact us for support or other offerings, Adobe collects information that identifies you. This includes:
Identifiers and contact information, such as:
- Name;
- Email address;
- Telephone number;
- Postal or Physical Address;
- Country;
Commercial and transaction information, such as:
- Payment/billing information (where an app or website is 'paid for');
- Licenses purchased;
- Eligibility information (e.g., student or teacher identification for student and teacher editions of apps);
- Content of and information provided through customer support and other communications (e.g., recorded customer and technical support calls and stored content of your correspondence with us via our website, chat features, phone and video calls, emails, and other channels);
Types of Services and Software of interest.
Professional, education or other demographic information, such as:
- Date of birth;
- Company or school name;
- Title;
- ccupation;
- Job function;
- Expertise;
- Company details, such as the size, industry, and other information about the company where a user may work (when the user has provided the company name);
Analytics or other electronic network activity, such as:
- IP address;
- Browser;
- Mobile Device ID;
- Browser extensions connected to your Adobe accounts.
Inferred Information
To help keep our databases current and to provide you the most relevant content and experiences, we may infer or generate information based on the information we collect or combine information provided by you with information from third party sources, in accordance with applicable law. For example, the size, industry, and other information about the company you work for (where you have provided company name) will be obtained from sources including, professional networking sites and information service providers. We may also infer, generate, or collect and receive information from third parties, including partners, and from publicly accessible sources, for purposes that include to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraudulent, deceptive or illegal activity, misuse of our Services and Software, security or technical issues, as well as to protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Adobe and our employees, our users, children, or the public.
Adobe Services and Software
We collect information you provide to us (e.g., when you access and use our Services and Software) or permit us to collect (e.g., as part of a third-party integration). We also collect or generate information about how you access and use our Services and Software, including when you use a desktop or mobile app feature that takes you online (such as a photo syncing feature). Depending on the Services and Software you access and use, this information may be associated with your device or browser or it may be associated with your Adobe account or content. It includes:
Analytics or other electronic network activity, such as:
- IP address;
- Browser and device information, including browser and device type, settings, unique identifiers, version, language settings, and configuration;
- Webpage that led you to an Adobe website;
- Search terms entered into a search engine which led you to an Adobe website;
- Use and navigation of Services and Software, including how you interact with Adobe websites (collected through cookies and similar technologies, or by Adobe servers when you are logged into the app or website);
- Analysis of your use and navigation of the Services and Software;
- Analysis of your content subject to your opt-out and consent rights.
Professional, Education or other demographic information, such as:
- Profile information (e.g., account profile, public profile, Behance profile).
Commercial and transaction information, such as:
- Content that includes personal information which is sent or received using an online feature of Adobe Services and Software, or which is stored on Adobe servers, such as documents, photos, videos, activity logs, direct feedback from you, metadata about your content, user generated requests such as search terms, prompts (e.g., text, images, videos, audio, etc.), inquiries, feedback, and other information you may disclose when you access or use our Services and Software as well as any information the Services and Software returns in response to such requests.
Sensitive personal information, such as:
- Biometric identifiers or information as defined under US laws (e.g., faceprints and voiceprints from your user Content, as defined in the Adobe General Terms of Use) and precise geolocation. Where required by law, we will seek any required permissions from you prior to any such collection. See the "Adobe acting on your behalf" and "How we analyze your content to deliver features requested by you" sections below for more information.
[...]
Adobe's full Privacy Policy:
https://www.adobe.com/privacy/policy.html
If you want to request a copy of your data from Adobe, you can email them directly: privacy@adobe.com
Regain Control: Make use of your digital rights!
Because of privacy concerns, Josef K. did request his data from Adobe. In response he received a dossier with more than 200 pages. Do you think this is too much too? Then you should definitely leave the Adobe eco-system behind!
Josef K. lives in the EU, which is why he is protected by the General Data
Protection Regulation in the European Union (GDPR). And with our help, he decided to make use of his digital rights:
Dear Adobe Data Protection Officer,
my name is Josef K. and until recently I have been one of your valued customers. I am an EU citizen, which is why I am protected by the General Data
Protection Regulation of the European Union (GDPR) and I want to make use of my digital rights:
- I demand that you provide me with information about all the data you have collected about me (GDPR - Art. 15).
- I then insist on the right to be forgotten, and I insist that you delete all my personal data (GDPR - Art. 17)
- I also insist on my right to block or restrict the processing of my data (GDPR - Art. 18)
- I would also like information about the processing of my data (GDPR - Art. 13, 14) and at the same time I will object to any data processing in future (GDPR - Art. 21)
If you do not comply within 10 days after receiving this letter, I will file a complaint with the respective supervisory authority (GDPR - Art. 77). Further legal steps are then possible.
Josef K.
Josef K. is lucky to live in the EU, where the GDPR applies. Any EU citizen can make use of these regulations and Adobe has to comply with this kind of request. However, as long as you live in a countrey where there are no data protection rules in place, Adobe may not comply with your request. Unless there is a law that forces them, they don't have to...
Reason 3: Security Issues
Data breaches and security vulnerabilities
"A data breach, also known as data leakage, is the unauthorized exposure, disclosure, or loss of personal information."
Wikipedia
"In October 2013, 153 million Adobe accounts were breached with each containing an internal ID, username, email, encrypted password and a password hint in plain text. The password cryptography was poorly done and many were quickly resolved back to plain text. The unencrypted hints also disclosed much about the passwords adding further to the risk that hundreds of millions of Adobe customers already faced."
Troy Hunt, Nov 12 2013 / ';--have i been pwned?
This is not an isolated incident. In October 2019 The Hacker News reported:
"The U.S. multinational computer software company Adobe has suffered a serious breach earlier this mont that exposed user records’ database belonging to the company’s popular Creative Cloud service. [...] What happened? - Earlier this month, security researcher Bob Diachenko collaborated with the cybersecurity firm Comparitech to uncover an unsecured Elasticsearch database belonging to Adobe Creative Cloud subscription service that was accessible to anyone without any password or authentication."
The Hacker News, Oct 26 2019
The Hacker News
You can find more reporting by the Hacker News about (now fixed) security vulnerabilities in Adobe software and infrastructure here:
https://thehackernews.com/search/label/Adobe
There is yet another security risk: pirated software (in general). Hackers use pirated copies of popular software as an attack vector to infect your computer and to deploy malware. If Adobe CC is unaffordable to you, we cannot stress enough: use alternative software!
The risk of getting infected by pirated versions of Adobe Software is just too high.
Reason 4: Terms & Conditions
Your Intellectual Property (?)
"Supporters of intellectual property laws often describe their main purpose as encouraging the creation of a wide variety of intellectual goods. To achieve this, the law gives people and businesses property rights to certain information and intellectual goods they create, usually for a limited period of time. Supporters argue that because IP laws allow people to protect their original ideas and prevent unauthorized copying, creators derive greater individual economic benefit from the information and intellectual goods they create, and thus have more economic incentives to create them in the first place."
Wikipedia
In June 2024, Adobe changed the Terms & Conditions for the use of their software. Users were locked out of their current projects, unless they agreed to Adobe's new Terms & Conditions. They could not even delete the software before agreeing to the new Terms. Specifically one paragraph caused quite a bit of bad press for Adobe, because it reads as if Adobe suddenly claimed the right to their user's creative content.
The new Terms say:
Solely for the purposes of operating or improving the Services and Software, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free sublicensable, license, to use, reproduce, publicly display, distribute, modify, create derivative works based on, publicly perform, and translate the Content. For example, we may sublicense our right to the Content to our service providers or to other users to allow the Services and Software to operate with others, such as enabling you to share photos.
Ben Lovejoy
Adobe later clarified in a blog post:
Adobe will never assume ownership of a customer’s work. Adobe hosts content to enable customers to use our applications and services. Customers own their content and Adobe does not assume any ownership of customer work.
Adobe Communications Team
We don't like the fact, that Adobe can simply change their Terms & Conditions and lock their paid subscriber out of their software unless they agree to new the Terms. We think this sounds like extortion and we still feel like Adobe cannot be trusted.
Adobe also is a major web analytics and marketing company, that also is in the AI-business ( - whose training models do rely on large amounts of data as well). Many people are not aware of this, because their Creative Cloud business with software like Photoshop is much more visible and better known. The potential for abuse is really high, especially as soon as huge amounts of data are combined in the hands of one single company.
Reason 5: Sanctions and the Abuse of Power
(...)
"Abuse of Power Comes As No Surprise."
Jenny Holzer, Truisms T-Shirts (1980-)
If Adobe suddenly decides to cut you off, for example because of US Sanctions against your country, you will only get a short period of time to secure your data. Then Adobe will remove access to your account and proceed to deleting everything you have stored in your Adobe Creative Cloud.
This happened for example in October 2019 when Donald Trump announced sanctions against Venezuela. All Adobe user accounts in Venezuela were cancelled. Active subscribers did not get any refund:
Jon Brodkin
More recently, in April 2022, Adobe stopped all new sales in Russia and Belarus as part of Western sanctions to support Ukraine:
Shantanu Narayen
"We are committed to doing everything we can to stand in support of those directly affected and with our entire Adobe community."
Adobe, 03.04.2022
One of the problems with sanctions is, that a lot of creative people who actively work against the regime in their country, see themselves as part of the Adobe community and yet they are affected by these sanctions nevertheless. Suddenly important tools to work against the regime, that make it easy to create flyers, newspapers, booklets, websites, videos, etc. are taken from them.
Regardless of where you are in the world, if for some reason the United States decide to sanction your country, you may loose access to cloud-based creative tools made in the USA and all content you have stored in the cloud.
Reason 6: Alternative Software does exist!
Use FOSS if you can, buy a license if you must, avoid the cloud.
"Free and open-source software (FOSS) is software that is available under a license that grants the right to use, modify, and distribute the software, modified or not, to everyone free of charge. The public availability of the source code is, therefore, a necessary but not sufficient condition. FOSS is an inclusive umbrella term for free software and open-source software. FOSS is in contrast to proprietary software, where the software is under restrictive copyright or licensing and the source code is hidden from the users."
Wikipedia
What software alternatives do you use? Please let us know and maybe we will create an extensive list with more software alternatives!
Our personal list is geared towards MacOS. We do use FOSS - yet in some cases, i.e. we still need a full-fledged video editor that replaces Adobe Premiere Pro, but we did not find a good enough replacement that is both free and open-source, we use non-free proprietary software instead. Important is that we do not have to use any cloud software and that we can purchase a license. Here is our list:
Adobe Photoshop -> Gimp (FOSS)
Mica Semrick
Adobe Illustrator -> Inkscape (FOSS)
Inkscape Website Developers
Adobe InDesign -> Scribus (FOSS)
If Scribus does not suffice you may want to look into QuarkXPress. You can purchase a lifetime license, but QuarkXPress is not cheap.
Premiere Pro -> DaVinci Resolve (Proprietary Software)
DaVinci Resolve is a fantastic full-fledged video editor and the best part of it is that you can use it for free. However it is limited to basic video editing functionality, including color grading and video export. There also is a paid version. The license is not that expensive and it will unlock all features of the software.
Adobe Media Encoder -> ffmpeg (FOSS)
ffmpeg is a command line program without Graphic User Interface (GUI). The software is absolutely fantastic and it can do much more than Adobe Media Encoder. However, the learning curve is quite steep. It is advisable to have a cheat sheet with commands ready, if you want to use it. We will write a tutorial about ffmpeg in the near future! :-)
Adobe After Effects -> Blender (FOSS)
Blender Foundation
Adobe Dreamweaver -> VSCodium
