HubSpot tried to feed its AI with customer data. The revolt took four days

https://media.thenextweb.com/2026/07/Duncan-Lennox-hubspot.avif

HubSpot has scrapped a plan to use its customers’ data for a new AI feature, just four days after announcing it. The CRM firm changed its terms on 1 July to pool customer data, including contact and employer details, for a tool that finds sales leads, The Information reported.

It opted users in by default. The backlash came at once.

The objection was less about AI than about consent. Customers argued that the data they had built up in HubSpot belonged to them, not to the company to share around. HubSpot set the default to opt-out. It enrolled everyone unless they hunted down a toggle. That turned a product tweak into a trust problem.

A four-day retreat

The revolt played out mostly on LinkedIn, where sales leaders and RevOps teams piled in. Some said they would switch providers. Within days HubSpot folded.

Chief product and technology officer Duncan Lennox apologised...

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