Adobe: Difference between revisions
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===Lack of ownership=== | ===Lack of ownership=== | ||
Adobe has switched from a perpetual license model to a subscription model (Creative Cloud). | Adobe has switched from a perpetual license model to a subscription model (Creative Cloud).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=2013-05-06 |title=Adobe’s Creative Suite is dead, long live the Creative Cloud |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/adobes-creative-suite-is-dead-long-live-the-creative-cloud/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Campbell-Dollaghan |first=Kelsey |date=2013-05-06 |title=Say Goodbye to Creative Suite: Adobe CS Is Now Creative Cloud |url=https://gizmodo.com/say-goodbye-to-creative-suite-adobe-rebrands-cs-as-cre-493155052 |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2013-05-06 |title=Adobe heralds subscription-only future for Photoshop and Creative Suite |url=http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/05/06/Adobe-kills-perpetual-licenses-as-creative-suite-moves-to-creative-cloud-cc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622072403/http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/05/06/Adobe-kills-perpetual-licenses-as-creative-suite-moves-to-creative-cloud-cc |archive-date=2013-06-22 |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Digital Photography Review}}</ref> | ||
===Proprietary file formats=== | ===Proprietary file formats=== | ||
Works created in Adobe software come in Adobe-exclusive file formats such as .psd for Photoshop and .indd for InDesign. | Works created in Adobe software come in Adobe-exclusive file formats such as .psd for Photoshop<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Colin |date= |title=Most commonly used file types in Photoshop |url=https://photoshopcafe.com/commonly-used-file-types-photoshop/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Photoshop CAFE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Brendan |date=2023-10-12 |title=File Formats In Photoshop Explained (Complete List) |url=https://www.bwillcreative.com/file-formats-in-photoshop-explained/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Brendan Williams Creative}}</ref> and .indd for InDesign.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Which File Format?: A Guide to INDD, IDML, INX and Everything In-Between |url=https://indesignskills.com/tutorials/open-indesign-files-in-earlier-versions/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=InDesign Skills}}</ref> | ||
===Data breaches=== | ===Data breaches=== | ||
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===Transition to subscription-based software=== | ===Transition to subscription-based software=== | ||
{{Hatnote|Read More: [[Adobe Lightroom | {{Hatnote|Read More: [[Adobe Lightroom]], [[Adobe Subscriptions]], [[Adobe CS Activation]] and | ||
[[Adobe | [[Adobe sued by FTC over hidden fees in subscription plans]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
Adobe initially distributed their software with perpetual licenses, allowing their users to make a one-time payment to own and access a specific application or, through Adobe's Creative Suite, a collection of applications. In 2011, Adobe introduced Creative Cloud, a subscription service that provides users access to an individual application or multiple applications for a monthly or yearly fee. In 2013, Adobe discontinued Creative Suite. | Adobe initially distributed their software with perpetual licenses, allowing their users to make a one-time payment to own and access a specific application or, through Adobe's Creative Suite, a collection of applications. In 2011, Adobe introduced Creative Cloud, a subscription service that provides users access to an individual application or multiple applications for a monthly or yearly fee. In 2013, Adobe discontinued Creative Suite.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> | ||
As of 2025, the only means to legally access up-to-date versions of many Adobe applications is through Creative Cloud. Additionally, the activation servers for perpetual licenses of previous versions of these applications have been shut down, which prevents consumers from activating the software using a legitimate copy and a serial number. | As of 2025, the only means to legally access up-to-date versions of many Adobe applications is through Creative Cloud. Additionally, the activation servers for perpetual licenses of previous versions of these applications have been shut down, which prevents consumers from activating the software using a legitimate copy and a serial number. | ||
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Creative Cloud offers various subscription options, including monthly plans (with monthly or annual billing) or prepaid annual plans. There are also plans for individual applications and bundles containing multiple applications. Prices of individual applications range from $22.99 per month or $263.88 prepaid annually. The Creative Cloud Pro subscription, which includes 22 applications and some additional extras including 100gb of cloud storage, is priced at $69.99 per month or $779.88 prepaid annually. | Creative Cloud offers various subscription options, including monthly plans (with monthly or annual billing) or prepaid annual plans. There are also plans for individual applications and bundles containing multiple applications. Prices of individual applications range from $22.99 per month or $263.88 prepaid annually. The Creative Cloud Pro subscription, which includes 22 applications and some additional extras including 100gb of cloud storage, is priced at $69.99 per month or $779.88 prepaid annually. | ||
Plans billed annually but paid monthly have a cancellation fee 14 days after purchase. This fee is set at 50% of the remaining contract balance. For example, if the user cancels the plan in the seventh month of an annual plan that costs $69.99 per month, they would incur a fee of $174.98. Prepaid annual plans do not offer refunds or cancellation options after 14 days. | Plans billed annually but paid monthly have a cancellation fee 14 days after purchase. This fee is set at 50% of the remaining contract balance. For example, if the user cancels the plan in the seventh month of an annual plan that costs $69.99 per month, they would incur a fee of $174.98. Prepaid annual plans do not offer refunds or cancellation options after 14 days. | ||
===Alleged use of user data for AI training=== | ===Alleged use of user data for AI training=== | ||
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As an American company, Adobe is subject to the United States Cloud Act, which requires all US companies to grant the US government access to any user data even if stored on servers outside their jurisdiction and comply with requests to help with spy operations upon request. | As an American company, Adobe is subject to the United States Cloud Act, which requires all US companies to grant the US government access to any user data even if stored on servers outside their jurisdiction and comply with requests to help with spy operations upon request. | ||
=== | ===Tracking users' eBook reading activities=== | ||
In 2014, it was revealed that Adobe Digital Editions, Adobe’s e-book reading application, reported extensive information about users' reading habits back to Adobe. This included several unique identifiers; which e-books were added to the application; when which one was opened, and for how long; percentage read; and page navigation information. | In 2014, it was revealed that Adobe Digital Editions, Adobe’s e-book reading application, reported extensive information about users' reading habits back to Adobe. This included several unique identifiers; which e-books were added to the application; when which one was opened, and for how long; percentage read; and page navigation information. | ||
All of this information was transmitted completely unencrypted in plain text. This meant that | All of this information was transmitted completely unencrypted in plain text. This meant that someone else who was on the same public Wi-Fi as another user would have been able track their reading activities in real time, entirely undetected.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |date=8 Oct 2014 |title=Adobe’s e-book reader sends your reading logs back to Adobe—in plain text |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/adobes-e-book-reader-sends-your-reading-logs-back-to-adobe-in-plain-text/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[ArsTechnica]]}}</ref> | ||
===Disrespect for user choices=== | ===Disrespect for user choices=== | ||
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For instance, this happened with the option to automatically install updates in the Adobe Flash installer. The same dark pattern is currently used in the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop application, which presents the same option on each update and requires the user to disable it manually every single time if they do not wish to relinquish control to Adobe over when updates happen. | For instance, this happened with the option to automatically install updates in the Adobe Flash installer. The same dark pattern is currently used in the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop application, which presents the same option on each update and requires the user to disable it manually every single time if they do not wish to relinquish control to Adobe over when updates happen. | ||
Whether this is to be attributed to | Whether this is to be attributed to an oversight or by design is debatable, as for instance Adobe Lightroom Classic also has a habit of resetting the language to the system language after every update instead of what was manually chosen in preferences, and the Windows version of Adobe Illustrator had, for a very long time, required the user to manually maximize the application window and re-enable the document rulers after each startup until the issue was finally addressed when the application was moved to a different GUI framework. | ||
===User information leaks and data breaches=== | ===User information leaks and data breaches=== | ||
In 2013, credit card information and personal data of 38 million users was exposed in a data breach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Maaz |date=26 Mar 2023 |title=The Adobe Attack of 2013: A Cautionary Tale of Cybersecurity Failure |url=https://medium.com/@maazptl240602/the-adobe-attack-of-2013-a-cautionary-tale-of-cybersecurity-failure-1ef4ec74eb64 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Medium]]}}</ref> | In 2013, credit card information and personal data of 38 million users was exposed in a data breach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Maaz |date=26 Mar 2023 |title=The Adobe Attack of 2013: A Cautionary Tale of Cybersecurity Failure |url=https://medium.com/@maazptl240602/the-adobe-attack-of-2013-a-cautionary-tale-of-cybersecurity-failure-1ef4ec74eb64 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Medium]]}}</ref> | ||
In 2019, Adobe left about 7.5 million Creative Cloud customer records in a database publicly accessible online in gross negligence. The database was not | In 2019, Adobe left about 7.5 million Creative Cloud customer records in a database publicly accessible online in gross negligence. The database was not protected with a password.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cimpanu |first=Catalin |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=Adobe left 7.5 million Creative Cloud user records exposed online |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/adobe-left-7-5-million-creative-cloud-user-records-exposed-online/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[ZDNet]}}</ref> | ||
==Products== | ==Products== | ||