Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Blog

Salesforce recently modified its Slack API Terms of Service (the “Terms”) to prohibit (i) bulk exporting of data accessible through the Slack application programming interfaces (“APIs”), (ii) the creation of persistent copies, archives, indexes or long-term data stores, and (iii) the usage of such data in large language models (“LLMs”).

The modifications to the Terms now prohibit use cases that were previously commonplace and important for Slack users. Many Slack customers rely on the ability to allow their third-party applications to copy, store and index data accessible through the Slack APIs on a long-term or permanent basis. Customers could then leverage their Slack data in other platforms, including LLMs and other artificial intelligence (“AI”) platforms, to analyze data and trends across their enterprise applications.

For example, Glean, an enterprise AI search platform that searches and analyzes data across an organization’s applications, previously offered a Slack integration that allowed Glean’s customers to search their Slack messages and build analytical tools using their enterprise Slack data. Glean informed its customers that the changes to the Terms will “hamp[er] your ability to use your data with your chosen enterprise AI platform” because access to Slack data is now permissible only “on a query-by-query basis . . . lock[ing] your data within Slack and limit[ing] your results to the scope and quality of Slack’s search technology and limited context[.]”

In addition to the complications presented for third-party usage of Slack data, customers that have developed internal LLMs using extensive Slack archives (and who have not negotiated limitations of unilateral amendments in their Salesforce agreements) must now redesign those programs or transition to Salesforce-approved integrations. 

Although Salesforce has stated that these changes were made to enhance data privacy and security for its customers, many in the industry believe these changes indicate Salesforce’s intent to leverage Slack’s extensive conversational data to develop its own proprietary AI solutions. By restricting third-party access to Slack data and prohibiting the use of Slack data within LLMs, Salesforce retains control over valuable enterprise data and gains an advantage in the AI space.

These changes are particularly important for any Slack customers that have not previously negotiated their Terms with Salesforce because, absent negotiation, Salesforce can unilaterally modify the Terms upon notice, and continued use of Slack following the effective date of such changes constitutes acceptance of the modified terms. If your organization utilizes third-party applications or LLMs to analyze your Slack data, or relies on the ability to obtain a continuous data feed from the Slack APIs, you should review the new Terms and assess the potential impact of these changes on your organization’s continued use of Slack.

Should you need any assistance analyzing or negotiating your Terms with Salesforce, please contact a member of Hunton’s Global Technology and Outsourcing team.

About Hunton’s Global Technology and Outsourcing Team

Hunton’s Global Technology and Outsourcing team combines remarkable depth and breadth of experience on a worldwide platform. In any given year, the team works on multiple domestic, global, offshore and multi-shore sourcing and technology transactions with total contract value in the billions of dollars. We are well-versed in these issues, have guided customers through contract negotiations for decades and are happy to assist you as you manage these developments.