Spotify Buys Moderation Company Kinzen to Boost Platform Safety

Spotify Buys Moderation Company Kinzen to Boost Platform Safety

Spotify has acquired Kinzen, a Dublin-based company that uses machine learning and actual humans to help moderate its audio content.

Kinzen uses its technology – backed by analysis from leading local academics and journalists – to scan for potentially harmful content and hate speech in multiple languages and countries. Spotify says Kinzen’s “unique” technology is “particularly suited” for podcasting and audio formats.

“We’ve long had an impactful and collaborative partnership with Kinzen and its exceptional team. Now, working together as one, we’ll be able to even further improve our ability to detect and address harmful content, and importantly, in a way that better considers local context,” said Dustee Jenkins, Spotify’s global head of public affairs.

“This investment expands Spotify’s approach to platform safety, and underscores how seriously we take our commitment to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for creators and users.”

The two companies began working together in 2020 and Spotify says the collaboration has been “critical” to improving its approach to platform safety which needs to work across hundreds of languages and dialects while being able to parse any nuance and the intent of the content.

“The combination of tools and expert insights is Kinzen’s unique strength that we see as essential to identifying emerging abuse trends in markets and moderating potentially dangerous content at scale,” said Sarah Hoyle, Spotify’s head of trust and safety.

“This expansion of our team, combined with the launch of our Safety Advisory Council, demonstrates the proactive approach we’re taking in this important space.”

Whether this new acquisition will have any bearing on how adverts can be served in Spotify – whether for free account users or in podcasts, remains to be seen. However, media producers and creative agencies  will definitely feel the impact of the acquisition as Spotify might become more judicious in the way it moderates podcasts and audiobooks.




Please login with linkedin to comment

Kinzen podcasts Spotify

Latest News

‘A Big, Big Step In The Right Direction’: Media Buyers React To News Corp’s D_Coded
  • Media

‘A Big, Big Step In The Right Direction’: Media Buyers React To News Corp’s D_Coded

Media agency leaders, buyers and planners have welcomed News Corp’s focus on data security and how brands can navigate its ecosystem with confidence in a cookieless world. Senior media buyers have given News Corp’s D-Coded presentation a tick of approval and feel more confident the business will support marketers from signal loss and the deprecation […]

CommBank Announced As Presenting Partner Of Vogue Codes 2024
  • Advertising

CommBank Announced As Presenting Partner Of Vogue Codes 2024

Vogue Australia announced Commonwealth Bank has signed on as presenting partner of Vogue Codes 2024 to support the STEM-focused event series. The supporting partner line-up includes Audi Australia, Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University and Net-A-Porter, along with event partner Dress for Success. Vogue Codes, established by Vogue Australia in 2016 to advocate […]

Brad Garbutt Joins OMA As Marketing Lead
  • Advertising

Brad Garbutt Joins OMA As Marketing Lead

The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) has appointed Brad Garbutt as marketing lead. Lead image: Brad Garbutt, marketing lead, OMA. Brad joins OMA following marketing roles at Dell, Apple, Network 10, and News Ltd. The outdoor industry body said his commitment to a collaborative approach and industry experience made him a natural fit for OMA’s dynamic […]

TV Ratings 15/5/24: Gruen Pulls A Crowd For Aunty As It Enters 16th Season
  • TV Ratings

TV Ratings 15/5/24: Gruen Pulls A Crowd For Aunty As It Enters 16th Season

Gruen returned on the ABC for its 16th season last night and drew a sizeable crowd as the panellists discussed Hubbl and KIA’s B&T Campaign of the Month-winning spot for its upcoming Tasman ute. Host Wil Anderson was joined by Todd Sampson, Camey O’Keefe and Karen Ferry to discuss everything advertising, as well as a […]

D_Coded panel: ‘If You Are A Marketer Handling Data And Haven’t Spoken To Legal, You’re In Trouble’
  • Marketing
  • Media

D_Coded panel: ‘If You Are A Marketer Handling Data And Haven’t Spoken To Legal, You’re In Trouble’

At this week’s D_Coded event, News Corp’s product lead Pippa Leary hosted a panel (pictured above) at News Corp’s D_Coded event featuring LiveRamp senior VP, go-to-market Daniella Harkins, OMG Australia chief investment officer Kristiaan Kroon, Journey Beyond group manager of digital and loyalty Wade Stokes and AdFixus head of sales Roland Irwin. When asked about […]

SBS Audio Campaign Tells The Stories Of New Australians, With Multilingual Content Offerings To Assist Migrants
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns

SBS Audio Campaign Tells The Stories Of New Australians, With Multilingual Content Offerings To Assist Migrants

SBS Audio has launched a new marketing campaign for its ‘Australia Explained’ service which supports new migrants to successfully navigate life in Australia and achieve a greater sense of belonging and social cohesion. SBS’s flagship service for new migrants, Australia explained, has launched a multi-platform marketing campaign that reaches into the heart of the migrant […]

Tracker App Launches, Promising Consumers A Read On Brand’s & Products Sustainability Chops
  • Advertising

Tracker App Launches, Promising Consumers A Read On Brand’s & Products Sustainability Chops

Shoppers can now get access to sustainability information at their fingertips through Tracker, a first-of-its-kind mobile app. The Tracker app centralises sustainability data into a single, easy-to-understand format, helping shoppers make informed choices about the brands and products they support. Shoppers can simply scan the barcode of their favourite supermarket, chemist or department store item […]

Channel Factory Expands Team Across Australia & New Zealand By 20%
  • Advertising

Channel Factory Expands Team Across Australia & New Zealand By 20%

Channel Factory has expanded its team by 20 per cent in Australia and New Zealand with the hire of a new sales director and five account managers. Lead image: Channel Factory new hires. New hires include account managers Renee Fox and Anna Soucek in Melbourne; Emma Sepokas, Liana Mann and Lachlan Granville in Sydney; and […]

Jaywing Extends Strategy Team Appointing Fran Martin As Senior Brand Strategist
  • Advertising

Jaywing Extends Strategy Team Appointing Fran Martin As Senior Brand Strategist

Jaywing has appointed Fran Martin as senior brand strategist, a newly created role to plan and craft a wide range of solutions for Jaywing’s performance and creative clients. Lead image: Fran Martin, senior brand strategist, Jaywing. Martin joins Jaywing Australia’s growing strategy offering and will work cross-functionally with the agency’s client service, creative and paid […]

Tourism Tasmania Taps Broadsheet For Latest “Off Season” Campaign Iteration
  • Campaigns
  • Media

Tourism Tasmania Taps Broadsheet For Latest “Off Season” Campaign Iteration

Tourism Tasmania has once again tapped Broadsheet for its “Off Season” campaign marking the third consecutive year of the collaboration to drive visitation to Tasmania during the winter. This year, Broadsheet and Tourism Tasmania have gone bigger than ever and, for the first time, have turned the Tasmania content vertical on the site ‘dark’. In this […]

Netball WA Appoints 303 MullenLowe As Brand Strategy partner
  • Advertising

Netball WA Appoints 303 MullenLowe As Brand Strategy partner

Netball WA has appointed 303 MullenLowe to develop an organisation-wide brand definition and related value propositions for the sporting body. Once complete, the strategy will shape the future direction of all brand expression and stakeholder communications. It is the first time the agency has partnered with Netball WA, as it looks to implement a consistent […]

RyvalMedia Flies Off With RedBalloon Media Account
  • Advertising

RyvalMedia Flies Off With RedBalloon Media Account

Australia-based experience marketplace RedBalloon has appointed RyvalMedia to helm its media duties. Lead image: Bianca Falloon, Sydney general manager, RyvalMedia. After working with RedBaloon on its Christmas and Mother’s Day campaigns, RyvalMedia took home the full media strategy, planning and buying remit. “The future of our partnership with Ryvalmedia is bright as we continue to […]

“First We Get Plastered Then We Fill Your Holes” – Tradies Face Ad Standards Ire
  • Advertising

“First We Get Plastered Then We Fill Your Holes” – Tradies Face Ad Standards Ire

Ad standards has banned an ad for a plastering firm, branding it “violent” and featuring “sexual innuendo”. Bergmann Plastering’s vehicle advertisement shows its logo and the slogan “First we get plastered then we fill your holes.” Ad Standards’ community panel considered that the slogan was seen to be degrading to women. Based on a 17 […]

Grab A Sneak Peek At Pinterest’s Special Guests This Cannes in Cairns!
  • B&T Exclusive

Grab A Sneak Peek At Pinterest’s Special Guests This Cannes in Cairns!

With just mere weeks to go until Cannes in Cairns, Presented by Pinterest, kicks off, we’ve got the official sneak peek of its mainstage special guests. That’s right, the global visual discovery platform powerhouse is back with two epic keynote sessions. Grab your Cannes in Cairns tickets now, before it’s too late! “The quality of […]

Netflix Has Google & Amazon In Crosshairs With Ad Server Launch
  • Media

Netflix Has Google & Amazon In Crosshairs With Ad Server Launch

Netflix has announced that it will be launching its own ad server and bringing its adtech in-house at its Upfronts presentation overnight. The burgeoning ad-supported streamer plans to have its own in-house adtech platform up and running by the end of next year. “Bringing our ad tech in-house will allow us to power the ads […]