Spotify Forced To Apologise For Controversial Spotify Settings

The release of Spotify’s new privacy policy got a social media beating over the weekend after it was revealed the music streaming site would have greater access to consumer’s personal details.

In the new privacy policy, Spotify would have access to user’s photos, video, mobile device location, voice controls and contacts. Here are some of the highlights of the privacy policy which came into effect on the 19th August:

“With your permission, we may collect information stored on your mobile device, such as contacts, photos, or media files.

“Depending on the type of device that you use to interact with the Service and your settings, we may also collect information about your location based on, for example, your phone’s GPS location or other forms of locating mobile devices (e.g., Bluetooth). We may also collect sensor data (e.g., data about the speed of your movements, such as whether you are running, walking, or in transit).

“You may integrate your Spotify account with Third Party Applications. If you do, we may receive similar information related to your interactions with the Service on the Third Party Application, as well as information about your publicly available activity on the Third Party Application. This includes, for example, your “Like”s and posts on Facebook.”

Twitter erupted with angry users:

Don’t worry, folks. Taylor Swift will write an open letter, and this #Spotify privacy nonsense will be cleared up by tomorrow. Right?
— Just Another Andy (@PsychTyson) August 21, 2015

An update to #Spotify just asked me to accept this as part of their privacy policy. Isn’t it charming? /cc @ToSDR pic.twitter.com/P1iVl1ET90
— Scott Martin (@hex) August 22, 2015

Amazing how the same people in favour of freedom & markets (use/don’t use product) aren’t in favour of freedom & #privacy choices. #Spotify
— Malavika Jayaram (@MalJayaram) August 21, 2015

Bye bye Spotify! Location, Sensors, Voice, Photos?! #Spotify Just Got Real Creepy With The Data It Collects On You http://t.co/gl7QvRv0yo
— Arjan (@AdV007) August 20, 2015

All this #Spotify brouhaha today reinforces my enjoyment of listening to 10 yr old playlists on my iPod Classic. It doesn’t even have wi-fi.
— Robynn McCarthy (@Swoopy) August 21, 2015

yes #Spotify all 120,327 of my photos are of dogs and/or potatoes what are you going to do about it
— darth™ (@darth) August 21, 2015

in light of Spotifys latest privacy policy I’m just going to uninstall and use soundcloud exclusively #spotify
— Christian Westman (@westmaaan) August 21, 2015

Within 24 hours of the release, Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek had to clarify that the privacy settings would allow ‘individual opt-outs.’

“We are in the middle of rolling out new terms and conditions and privacy policy and they’ve caused a lot of confusion about what kind of information we access and what we do with it. We apologize for that. We should have done a better job in communicating what these policies mean and how any information you choose to share will – and will not – be used.

“Let me be crystal clear here: If you don’t want to share this kind of information, you don’t have to. We will ask for your express permission before accessing any of this data – and we will only use it for specific purposes that will allow you to customize your Spotify experience.”

Ek said Spotify had heard the concerns loud and clear, and would be updating the policy to better reflect their intentions.

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