--- title: "Midjourney Image Editor and Video | Ethical Stack" url: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/ catalog_version: f6baff2119d0e9158520da7fbe4232011dac79f25bd08757436d7a1dbd593db2 --- # Midjourney Image Editor and Video Subscription-based cloud image creation and editing, with video tools; visibility defaults and commercial rights depend on plan and context. Canonical profile: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/ Scope: Midjourney Image Editor and Video: cloud access. Subscription plans; commercial ownership requires Pro or Mega for businesses over $1M annual revenue. Ratings describe the stated product, company or configuration in each finding. Published overall: 3.7; 6/6 dimensions rated. Round the equal-weight mean of available numerical ratings to one decimal; require at least four of six for an overall score. BDS status stays outside the mean; for eligible profiles, a boycott target caps the final score at 2/10 and a pressure target subtracts one point (minimum 1). Not listed and not checked do not adjust the score. ## Energy practices Finding: 4/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/#energy Midjourney publishes training-content information and detailed generation controls, including image quality/draft settings and video batch, resolution, and length. It reports no electricity, emissions, or water footprint. Reason: 1 + 1 reporting + 0 electricity + 2 controls = 4/10. This grade covers documented practices and transparency; it does not measure the energy or emissions of a request. Argument: Midjourney publishes training-content information and detailed generation controls, including image quality/draft settings and video batch, resolution, and length. It reports no electricity, emissions, or water footprint. The score describes documented measurement transparency and available controls, not environmental performance. Type: conditional; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Midjourney hosted image and video generation on the official web/Discord product. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: 2026-10-24 Unknowns: No Midjourney company or service electricity-sourcing data, training/inference energy report, or measured footprint per image/video was found. Quality and GPU-time settings are controls, not proof of lower energy per successful result. ```json { "method": "practices-transparency-v1", "scope": "Midjourney hosted image and video generation on the official web/Discord product.", "components": { "disclosure": { "score": 1, "reason": "Midjourney identifies the model/training-content boundary and provides hosted product documentation, but no quantified environmental report or facility/region scope.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content" ] }, "electricity": { "score": 0, "reason": "No clean-electricity sourcing is established for Midjourney’s hosted generation setup. The product is not a user-routed local inference deployment in the cited docs.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://www.midjourney.com/pricing" ] }, "demand": { "score": 2, "reason": "Image controls include model/version, SD/HD resolution, draft mode, quality and repeat; video controls include SD/HD, 1/2/4-video batch size, and extensions up to 21 seconds. These provide several demand controls, but published GPU time/credits are not physical energy measurements.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32859204029709-Parameter-List", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/37460773864589-Video", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/33390732264589-Creating-on-Web" ] } }, "actualImpactMeasured": false, "meaning": "Documented environmental practices and transparency. Zero component points mean a reviewed evidence gap." } ``` - [Public Summary of Training Content — Midjourney](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Parameter List](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32859204029709-Parameter-List) (official product documentation; checked 2026-10-24) - [Video](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/37460773864589-Video) (official product documentation; checked 2026-10-24) - [Midjourney plans](https://www.midjourney.com/pricing) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Creating on Web](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/33390732264589-Creating-on-Web) (official product documentation; checked 2026-10-24) ## Training data Finding: 4/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/#training-rights Midjourney discloses web-crawled public material, licensed and confidential third-party datasets, user interactions, and synthetic data. It says robots.txt is honored, while leaving individual sources and rights unresolved. Reason: 1 + 1 source transparency + 1 permission + 1 creator controls = 4/10. This grades documented training-data safeguards, not a legal ruling. Argument: The EU summary and California disclosure identify useful source categories and crawler controls, but do not enumerate corpora or establish rights for the broad publicly accessible material. This is a low documented-safeguard score, not a conclusion about legality. Type: argument; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Midjourney Image and Video family, including versions V8, V8.1 and V8.2 named in its EU summary. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: 2026-03-17 Unknowns: Specific datasets, partner identities, item-level permissions, and the relative share of licensed versus crawled content are not disclosed. ```json { "method": "training-rights-evidence-v1", "scope": "Midjourney Image and Video family, including versions V8, V8.1 and V8.2 named in its EU summary.", "components": { "provenance": { "score": 1, "reason": "Source categories, modalities and broad acquisition periods are described, but there is no named-source inventory.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/42829949256205-AB2013-Documentation" ] }, "permissions": { "score": 1, "reason": "Commercial licenses are reported for some third-party material, while broad crawled content has no itemized rights basis in the disclosure.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/42829949256205-AB2013-Documentation" ] }, "creatorControls": { "score": 1, "reason": "The summary reports honoring robots.txt and some privacy processing; it does not show a complete removal or retrospective retraining process.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content" ] } }, "routeDependency": null, "modelReference": null, "meaning": "Documented training-data rights safeguards. Low points may reflect missing evidence; they do not establish infringement." } ``` - [Public Summary of Training Content — Midjourney](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [AB2013 Documentation](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/42829949256205-AB2013-Documentation) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Your data & privacy Finding: 3/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/#privacy Midjourney says content is public and remixable by default; Stealth is a paid Pro/Mega option, with shared-chat visibility exceptions. Reason: This score reflects the default cloud community configuration. The current terms also grant Midjourney a broad, continuing content license, and uploads remain visible to people in shared spaces even with Stealth. Argument: This score reflects the default cloud community configuration. The current terms also grant Midjourney a broad, continuing content license, and uploads remain visible to people in shared spaces even with Stealth. Type: conditional; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Selected configuration Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: This score reflects the default cloud community configuration. The current terms also grant Midjourney a broad, continuing content license, and uploads remain visible to people in shared spaces even with Stealth. - [Terms of Service](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Privacy Policy](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083472637453-Privacy-Policy) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Openness Finding: 2/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/#openness Midjourney provides image and video generation through its hosted subscription service. The reviewed product and terms pages do not offer model weights, source code or a self-hosting option. Reason: Users can operate the service through its interface but cannot inspect or move the model to their own infrastructure. This places the proprietary hosted product in the low openness range. Argument: Users can operate the service through its interface but cannot inspect or move the model to their own infrastructure. This places the proprietary hosted product in the low openness range. Type: evidence; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Product Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: 2026-10-24 Unknowns: Users can operate the service through its interface but cannot inspect or move the model to their own infrastructure. This places the proprietary hosted product in the low openness range. - [Terms of Service](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Midjourney plans](https://www.midjourney.com/pricing) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Worker protections Finding: 1/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/#labour Midjourney’s careers pages describe a small distributed company and a separate medical business, but do not provide labor standards, contractor coverage or worker outcomes. Reason: 1 + 0 pay & conditions + 0 worker voice & remedy + 0 evidence & follow-through = 1/10. This grades documented worker safeguards, not a measured rate of mistreatment. Argument: Midjourney describes a strikingly small, distributed team and roles across infrastructure, product and a separate medical business. The reviewed careers pages do not disclose compensation, benefits beyond Medical full-time roles, data-labeling vendor standards, worker voice, or independent labor outcomes. Its community model and commercial creative contributors are not evidence of paid workforce treatment. Type: argument; confidence: low Scope (dimension): Midjourney's workforce and disclosed contractors. Coverage of individual product teams may be incomplete. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Pay, hours, benefits for the main AI product workforce, contractor/labeling arrangements, health and safety, grievance access, supplier coverage and independent outcome assurance remain unclear; no model-maker labor report located. ```json { "method": "worker-safeguards-evidence-v1", "entity": "midjourney", "company": "Midjourney", "scope": "Midjourney's workforce and disclosed contractors. Coverage of individual product teams may be incomplete.", "components": { "conditions": { "score": 0, "reason": "No opened source reports worker pay, hours, exposure protections, contractor coverage, or worker-level outcomes for Midjourney. The reviewed material is limited to The current EU training summary and company page were checked; labor conditions of annotators, moderators, employees, and suppliers remain unreported.; its silence is an information gap, not evidence of poor conditions.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://www.midjourney.com/", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service", "https://www.midjourney.com/careers", "https://www.midjourney.com/medical/careers" ] }, "voice": { "score": 0, "reason": "The reviewed material for Midjourney does not establish worker representation, grievance access, bargaining voice, or documented remedies. Public code contributions, customer controls, or creator rights do not demonstrate worker voice across employees and suppliers.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://www.midjourney.com/", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service", "https://www.midjourney.com/careers", "https://www.midjourney.com/medical/careers" ] }, "assurance": { "score": 0, "reason": "No reviewed source provides an independent audit or corroborated worker-level outcomes for Midjourney’s relevant employees, contractors, and data-work suppliers. The available disclosures are company/project materials rather than independent labor verification.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://www.midjourney.com/", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service", "https://www.midjourney.com/careers", "https://www.midjourney.com/medical/careers" ] } }, "disclosureLimited": true, "meaning": "This grades documented worker safeguards, not a measured rate of mistreatment." } ``` - [Public Summary of Training Content — Midjourney](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Midjourney Image Editor and Video official site](https://www.midjourney.com/) (primary; checked not recorded) - [Midjourney Community Guidelines](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines) (acceptable-use-policy; checked 2026-10-24) - [Terms of Service](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Midjourney Careers](https://www.midjourney.com/careers) (careers; checked 2026-10-24) - [Midjourney Medical Careers](https://www.midjourney.com/medical/careers) (careers; checked 2026-10-24) ## Military ties Finding: 8/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/#military-contracts Midjourney’s hosted service rules ban violent/inciting content and graphic depictions such as shooting or bombing, but do not prohibit military use as a customer purpose. Reason: 7 base + 1 safeguard adjustment = 8/10 (3 of 9 safeguard points; every 3 adds 1). No military relationship was established in the cited sources. This ranks above known defense ties without claiming a verified clean record. Argument: Midjourney’s binding hosted Terms incorporate Community Guidelines that prohibit violent behavior/incitement and gore, including shooting/bombing imagery; moderators can warn, time out, block or ban accounts. These are output/content guardrails, not a military or intelligence-use ban, and no military relationship was established. Type: argument; confidence: low Scope (dimension): Midjourney's relationships and safeguards. A company relationship does not identify every product or release used. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Unpublished contracts, reseller/subcontractor activity, customer-configured use and enforcement outcomes remain unknown. Hosted AUPs do not necessarily apply to independent local deployments or permissively licensed copies. ```json { "method": "military-ties-priority-v2", "entity": "midjourney", "company": "Midjourney", "scope": "Midjourney's relationships and safeguards. A company relationship does not identify every product or release used.", "components": { "restrictions": { "score": 1, "reason": "Hosted policy prohibits violent/inciting and graphic content, including shooting/bombing depictions, but does not bar non-graphic military, intelligence or surveillance use as such.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://www.midjourney.com/", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service" ] }, "oversight": { "score": 1, "reason": "Documented user reporting, automated blocking and moderator warnings/timeouts/bans create a service-level enforcement channel, without independent outcomes.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://www.midjourney.com/", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service" ] }, "transparency": { "score": 1, "reason": "Public terms and content rules disclose prohibited content and moderation actions, but no government customer/defense-use relationships are identified.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content", "https://www.midjourney.com/", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines", "https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service" ] } }, "relationship": "not-established", "relationshipReason": "The bounded official review found no named military/intelligence contract or operational use for this company/project. This evidence limit is not a clean bill of health; third-party model-provider relationships and customers’ independent deployments are separate.", "score": 8, "baseScore": 7, "safeguardPoints": 3, "safeguardAdjustment": 1, "rawScore": 8, "cap": null, "disclosureLimited": false, "meaning": "Known military relationships take priority over missing safeguards. The rating does not establish the probability of an undisclosed contract." } ``` - [Public Summary of Training Content — Midjourney](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/48067080311309-Public-Summary-of-Training-Content) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Midjourney Image Editor and Video official site](https://www.midjourney.com/) (primary; checked not recorded) - [Midjourney Community Guidelines](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32013696484109-Community-Guidelines) (acceptable-use-policy; checked 2026-10-24) - [Terms of Service](https://docs.midjourney.com/hc/en-us/articles/32083055291277-Terms-of-Service) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## BDS targets Finding: Not listed Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/products/midjourney/#israel-palestine Categorical check of the BNC campaign guide and No Tech campaign page; absence from these named-target pages is not BDS approval. Reason: No named target for this company was found in the two checked BNC sources as of 2026-10-24. This is a narrow list check, not BDS approval, and it does not capture unlisted relationships or partners. Argument: No named target for this company was found in the two checked BNC sources as of 2026-10-24. This is a narrow list check, not BDS approval, and it does not capture unlisted relationships or partners. Type: conditional; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Company record Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: No named target for this company was found in the two checked BNC sources as of 2026-10-24. This is a narrow list check, not BDS approval, and it does not capture unlisted relationships or partners. - [Guide to BDS Boycott & Pressure Corporate Priority Targeting](https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott) (primary; checked not recorded) - [No Tech for Oppression, Apartheid or Genocide](https://bdsmovement.net/no-tech-oppression-apartheid-or-genocide) (primary; checked not recorded) ## Reading the evidence - Assessments are provisional editorial judgments. Cite the profile and the underlying sources, and retain confidence, scope and unknowns. - Unknown, not-applicable and model-dependent are different states. Missing evidence does not establish good or bad conduct. - Company-level evidence does not establish use of a particular product or model. Account plan, model, host and route can change an assessment. - Energy scores describe documented practices and transparency, not measured request emissions. Zero component points can mean an evidence gap. - Published overall scores require at least four of six numerical dimensions. Preserve coverage and BDS adjustments; BDS itself is categorical. - No named BDS target found is limited to the reviewed campaign sources and is not approval. Personalized priorities do not change the published overall score. - Review and source-check dates describe the research, not this deployment. Fetch current primary sources when the decision requires current verification. Methodology: https://ethicalstack.ai/methodology/