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Can you license your company's SaaS data to AI companies?

By Gareth HoyleLast updated How we research

In short

Under the terms of all 12 platforms we reviewed, the customer company keeps ownership of the data it stores. The limits sit in API and developer terms: Slack, Google Workspace, Zendesk, HubSpot and Zoom restrict AI training on data pulled through their APIs, while native admin exports carry fewer conditions. Privacy law and third-party content usually decide the case. Confirm with your own counsel.

Companies keep many of their most valuable records in SaaS tools, and the first question from buyers and sellers is whether the platform's terms allow an export to be licensed for AI training. We read each platform's own terms, help center and developer documentation in November 2026 and quoted the clauses that matter.

Which platforms restrict AI training on exported data?

Five of the 12 platforms restrict AI training on data pulled through their APIs, four are unclear and three have no restriction we could find. Each row links to the full page with the clause, the export tools and a preparation checklist.

Data rights and AI-training restrictions in 12 platforms' own terms, checked November 2026
PlatformWho owns the dataNative export toolPlan neededAI-training restriction in the terms
SlackCustomer, under the Slack Supplemental TermsWorkspace export from admin settings. Discovery API for approved partnersAny plan for public channels. Business+ or Enterprise for private channels and DMsYes: Slack API Terms, Data Usage by Third Parties: apps may not "use API Data to train a large language model"
Microsoft 365Customer, under the Microsoft DPAMicrosoft Purview eDiscovery export. Teams Export APIs in Microsoft GraphMicrosoft 365 E3 or E5 license for the eDiscovery userUnclear: no AI clause found. Microsoft APIs Terms of Use §3(b)(14) bars you to "Redistribute or resell" data obtained using the APIs
Google WorkspaceCustomer, under section 5.1 of the Workspace termsAdmin console Data Export tool. Google VaultAny edition for Data Export, run by a super admin. Vault on editions that include itYes: Workspace API User Data and Developer Policy: no using user data to "create, train, or improve a machine learning or artificial intelligence model"
ZendeskCustomer, under section 3.1 of the Zendesk MSAAccount data export (JSON, CSV, XML). REST APISuite Growth or higher, or Support Professional or Enterprise, with export enabled by SupportYes: Zendesk Developer Terms §3.6(iii): no use of API Data for "creating, training, or improving any general AI model"
SalesforceCustomer, under section 6.3 of the Salesforce MSAData Export Service (weekly or monthly CSV files)Weekly on Enterprise, Performance and Unlimited. Monthly on all editions except Database.comNo: no AI-training clause found in the MSA (September 15, 2025) or the AI Acceptable Use Policy (August 5, 2025)
HubSpotCustomer, under section 5.1 of the Customer Terms of ServiceRecord exports (CSV, XLS, XLSX). CRM APIsAny plan, user with export permissionsYes: HubSpot Developer Terms §4.B.8: "must not use Customer Data or Content to train, fine-tune, improve" AI
GitHubCustomer, under section D.3 of the GitHub Terms of Servicegit clone. Organization migration archives. REST APIAny plan for git clone. Organization owner for migration archivesNo: no restriction found on licensing your own content. Terms of Service D.3: "You own Your Content"
GitLabCustomer, under section 8.4 of the Subscription AgreementProject file export. git cloneFree, Premium or Ultimate, with the Maintainer or Owner roleNo: no restriction found on your own content. GitLab Duo AI Terms §3.3 bar using AI Functionality to train a competing model
AtlassianCustomer, under section 13 of the Atlassian Customer AgreementCloud site backup. Confluence space exportSite or organization admin for backups. Space admin for space exportsUnclear: no AI clause found. Atlassian Developer Terms §9.2: "You may not sell any End User Data."
NotionCustomer, according to Notion's help centerWorkspace export (HTML, or Markdown and CSV). Page export to PDFWorkspace settings access. PDF with subpages on Business and EnterpriseUnclear: no AI clause confirmed. We could not retrieve the text of Notion's Master Subscription Agreement or Developer Terms
ZoomCustomer, under section 10.4 of the Zoom Terms of ServiceCloud recording files and VTT transcripts. Zoom APIsPro, Business, Education or Enterprise with cloud recordingYes: Zoom API License and Terms of Use §2.8: no use of Customer Content to "train, develop, evaluate, test, improve, or modify" AI models
IntercomCustomer, under section 3.2 of the Intercom Terms of ServiceInbox transcript exports. Amazon S3 export (JSON). Conversations APIInbox seat and export permissionsUnclear: no AI clause found. Developer Terms §3.2.1(g) bar copies of "any data obtained using the Intercom Service" beyond what is necessary

Who owns company data stored in SaaS platforms?

All 12 platforms say the customer owns or keeps the rights in its data. The wording varies, from "You own Your Content" in GitHub's Terms of Service to "SFDC acquires no right, title or interest from Customer" in the Salesforce Main Services Agreement, but none of the vendors claims ownership of what you store.

Ownership against the vendor does not settle the question. Your privacy notices, customer contracts, employee policies and the rights of people outside your company usually decide whether a license is possible, as our guide on whether you can legally sell company data explains.

Why do API terms matter more than the main contract?

API and developer terms are where AI restrictions sit. Slack, Google Workspace, Zendesk, HubSpot and Zoom each restrict training AI models on data pulled through their APIs, and Zendesk and HubSpot apply their developer terms to customers writing scripts for their own use.

Native admin exports usually sit under the main subscription agreement instead, and none of the main agreements we could read restricts customers from AI training on their own data. How you extract the data can change which terms apply, so choose the route with counsel before anyone writes code.

What else decides whether a SaaS export is licensable?

  • US privacy law, starting with the CCPA, which defines a sale as sharing personal information "for monetary or other valuable consideration"
  • Sector rules such as HIPAA and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act where health or financial data could be present
  • FTC expectations that you keep the privacy promises made when the data was collected
  • Third-party content from customers, guests, shared channels, inbound email and open-source code
  • UK GDPR and EU GDPR if any of the people in the data are in the UK or EU, covered in our privacy law guide

How do you prepare any platform export for a buyer?

  1. 1

    Pick the extraction route

    Prefer the platform's native admin export, and get counsel's view on the API or developer terms before any API pull.

  2. 2

    Scope what goes in

    Decide which channels, mailboxes, projects or date ranges carry value, and leave the rest behind.

  3. 3

    Remove third-party content

    Take out guests, shared channels, inbound email from outside parties, client documents and code you cannot clear.

  4. 4

    De-identify and test

    Follow a documented method and test a random sample, as our de-identification guide describes.

  5. 5

    Write the manifest

    Record counts, date ranges, systems and exclusions in a data manifest, and check license warranties against our licensing agreement checklist.

If you want a view on whether your platform data is licensable and what buyers might pay, start with a data valuation. We are a broker, not a law firm, so take independent legal advice before you sign any license.

Frequently asked questions

Do SaaS platforms own the data my company stores in them?
Not under the terms we reviewed. All 12 platforms say the customer owns or keeps the rights in its data, in wording that ranges from "You own Your Content" in GitHub's Terms of Service to "Customer retains ownership of all Service Data" in the Zendesk Main Services Agreement. Most vendors keep a license to run and improve their services, and some, such as HubSpot and Intercom, may use the data to train their own AI.
Why do API terms matter if my company owns the data?
Because API and developer terms are where most AI restrictions sit. Slack, Google Workspace, Zendesk, HubSpot and Zoom restrict AI training on data obtained through their APIs, and Zendesk and HubSpot apply their developer terms to customers writing scripts for their own use. Owning the data does not stop a contract from limiting what you do with copies you pull through an API.
Is a native admin export safer than an API extraction?
Often it carries fewer contractual conditions. Native exports, such as Slack's workspace export, Google's Data Export tool or Zendesk's JSON export, sit under the main subscription agreement, and none of the main agreements we could read restricts AI training by customers. That does not make the export lawful to license. Privacy law, your own privacy promises and third-party content still apply, so confirm the route with counsel.
Does a platform's AI-training restriction bind the AI buyer?
Usually not directly, because the buyer did not sign your platform contract. The restriction binds you, and a buyer's license will normally ask you to warrant that you have the right to license the data for training. If the data came through an API with an AI-training ban, that warranty may be hard to give. Our licensing agreement checklist covers the warranties buyers ask for.

Sources

  1. Slack Supplemental Terms, Slack, accessed November 2026
  2. Slack API Terms of Service, Slack, accessed November 2026
  3. Microsoft Products and Services Data Protection Addendum (DPA), Microsoft, accessed November 2026
  4. Microsoft APIs Terms of Use, Microsoft Learn, accessed November 2026
  5. Google Workspace Terms of Service, Google, accessed November 2026
  6. Google Workspace API User Data and Developer Policy, Google for Developers, accessed November 2026
  7. Main Services Agreement, Zendesk, accessed November 2026
  8. Zendesk Developer Terms, Zendesk, accessed November 2026
  9. Main Services Agreement, Salesforce, accessed November 2026
  10. Artificial Intelligence Acceptable Use Policy, Salesforce, accessed November 2026
  11. Customer Terms of Service, HubSpot, accessed November 2026
  12. HubSpot Developer Terms, HubSpot, accessed November 2026
  13. GitHub Terms of Service, GitHub Docs, accessed November 2026
  14. GitHub Acceptable Use Policies, GitHub Docs, accessed November 2026
  15. GitLab Subscription Agreement, GitLab Handbook, accessed November 2026
  16. GitLab Duo AI Terms (Additional Terms), GitLab Handbook, accessed November 2026
  17. Atlassian Customer Agreement, Atlassian, accessed November 2026
  18. Atlassian Developer Terms, Atlassian Developer, accessed November 2026
  19. Privacy practices, Notion Help Center, accessed November 2026
  20. Notion AI security and privacy practices, Notion Help Center, accessed November 2026
  21. Zoom Terms of Service, Zoom, accessed November 2026
  22. Zoom API License and Terms of Use, Zoom, accessed November 2026
  23. Terms of Service, Intercom, accessed November 2026
  24. Intercom Developer Terms, Intercom Developers, accessed November 2026
  25. California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, Civil Code section 1798.140, California Privacy Protection Agency, accessed November 2026
  26. AI (and other) Companies: Quietly Changing Your Terms of Service Could Be Unfair or Deceptive, Federal Trade Commission, accessed November 2026

For data owners

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