WeTransfer
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Software |
| Official website | https://www.wetransfer.com |
WeTransfer is a cloud-based file transfer service that allows users to upload files through their website and then either gives them a link directly or to send an e-mail to the recipient with a download link. If sent through e-mail, the sender could be notified when their files were downloaded.
Initially, the website was primarily ad-financed and required no registration. The free tier had a 2GB limit on the file size and links would expire after a week. Both limitations could be lifted by going to a paid plan for the service.
In 2024, the company was sold to Italian tech company Bending Spoons, which at that point already had a questionable reputation for changing the business model of iPhone camera app FiLMiC Pro after taking it over. Similar changes aimed at maximizing profit were introduced to WeTransfer, and it was announced that the majory of the existing staff would be laid off.
Consumer-impact summary
Privacy Concerns
Uploading files to a company unencrypted poses a variety of dangers of these documents leaking or being misused. Employees of companies might try to use services they know from home use and try to send confidential information through such channels.
This can be circumvented by putting the files to be sent into a ZIP file protected by a strong password first before uploading the file and then sending the passwort through an unrelated channel, such as a messenger chat.
Incidents
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the WeTransfer category.
Forced app usage on mobile (201?)
At some point WeTransfer started to block use of the website on mobile devices, making it impossible to upload or download files, directing users to download the app instead. Aside from the usual app overload concerns, the app was focussed around some sort of collages, this was perceived as annoying by many users.
This restriction can be circumvented by using the "Load Desktop Website" option in the web browser of the phone.
Data Breach (2019)
Some files were sent to the wrong recipients.[1]
Business Model Changes (2024)
In 2024, Bending Spoons made changes that changed the business model for the worse. Uploads were no longer possible without registering an account, the number of transfers per month and the storage duration of the free tier were reduced significantly.
Alternatives
Swiss company Infomaniak offers a free service called SwissTransfer that is similar to WeTransfer, but has none of the restrictions introduced to WeTransfer by Bending Spoons. The free transfer limit is 50 GB (compared to 2 GB for WeTransfer) and the storage time is up to 30 days (vs. the 7 days of traditional WeTransfer). Moreover, the user can choose a language for the download page.
SendGB also offers 20 GB transfers for free without registration.
See also
References
- ↑ Abrams, Lawrence (2019-06-21). "WeTransfer Security Incident Sent Files to the Wrong People". Bleeping Computer. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2025-04-07.