Salesforce has made a quiet but important change to how companies can interact with Slack data. While it was not announced with much fanfare, the impact is already being felt across the enterprise AI space.
Slack, which is owned by Salesforce, recently changed its terms and is no longer allowing outside software firms to store or index messages from its platform through the API. This was first reported by The Information. Companies like Glean that previously helped organizations search and sort through Slack conversations are now blocked from accessing that information in the same way they used to.
Instead of a major announcement, Salesforce simply updated its terms and issued a short statement on May 29. In it, the company said it was strengthening protections around how Slack data is handled and that it remains committed to building AI in a responsible and transparent way. While the language sounds polite and neutral, the shift is very much strategic.
Glean, in a message to its customers, explained that they would no longer be able to use Slack messages in their internal search or knowledge systems. This is a big hit for many businesses that rely on tools like Glean to make sense of the large volumes of communication happening across teams every day.
This is not the first time a major tech company has changed its rules to limit outside access. Microsoft has done something similar by building tight integrations between Teams and the rest of its productivity tools while making it harder for third-party platforms to match the same level of access. Google has also been known to design its products so that they work best with each other while keeping outside tools at a distance.
Salesforce appears to be following the same path. By closing off access to Slack data, it is making it harder for other AI companies to compete. At the same time, it is creating more reasons for customers to stay within its ecosystem where Salesforce products are already tuned to work well together.
This will affect businesses in practical ways. Developers will need to rework their tools. AI assistants that once pulled in Slack conversations will now have gaps. Features that felt natural and helpful may stop functioning properly. It will take time and effort to adjust.
The broader trend is clear. As data becomes more valuable in the race to build smarter AI tools, the biggest players are taking control of their own ecosystems. They are deciding what others can access and what they cannot. This is not just about privacy or security. It is about competition and positioning for the future.
Once again, platform power is being used to shape the direction of the technology we all rely on. And those decisions are being made quietly, behind the scenes, one policy change at a time.
