Spotify’s new privacy policy gets all up in your business

Spotify has changed its privacy policy and in what many have dubbed as rather “eerie” changes, the music streaming company is seemingly going overboard with the amount of information it wants to collect from its subscribers. This makes sense when you consider that Spotify is building products like “Running”, which provides you with a mix of music with an underlying beat that’s in time with your steps. 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). Now Spotify is requesting access to other parts of your phone, like your contacts, your photos, your “media files” (though it doesn’t specify which ones), and your phone’s sensors.

But privacy advocates could worry about how that information gets shared with Spotify “partners”.

Another sent a public reply to Spotify saying: “Unbelievable!” What possible need could Spotify have for seeing your selfies?

The “marketing and advertising” section claims that information it shares about you to advertising partners is done so in a de-identified format. This means delivering the ideal recommendations for every moment, and helping you to enjoy, discover and share more music than ever before.

Curiously enough, as of writing, the questionable collection practices are only present in the UK version of Spotify’s privacy policy.

Forbes magazine questioned whether the launch of competitor Apple Music has caused Spotify to try and increase its revenue by collecting and selling data.

It is a major change to previous privacy policies, and applies to both customers using the free tier and those who cough up £10 a month for a premium membership.

Unsurprisingly, some have already taken to Twitter to publically voice their opinion on the matter.

Spotify also wants to access your Global Positioning System coordinates, which could be used to create location-specific playlists, or see trends.