DATA PRIVACY: How to stop Spotify from sharing your data

Everything you need to know about Spotify’s data privacy policies and how to stay safe. Image: Unsplash @Fixelgraphy

DATA PRIVACY: How to stop Spotify from sharing your data

Data privacy is more important than ever. But, do you know how to keep your personal data safe on streaming platforms like Spotify?

DATA PRIVACY: How to stop Spotify from sharing your data

Everything you need to know about Spotify’s data privacy policies and how to stay safe. Image: Unsplash @Fixelgraphy

Streaming services like Spotify make it easy for customers to enjoy the latest local and international hits and podcasts. It even offers recommendations, ensuring that you never miss a beat. So what’s not to love?

But ever wondered how Spotify does it?

DATA PRIVACY – CHECK THE POLICY

Unlike platforms like Facebook and Instagram which will divulge users’ personal information, very little is known about how Spotify deals with personal information, 2OceansVibeNews reports.

Mashable recently revealed that “…the wildly popular music streaming service in fact collects, stores, and shares reams of seemingly mundane user data, adding up to an intrusion that’s much more than just the sum of its parts.”

While users are jamming to the sounds of their favourite tunes and being introduced to new recommendations, Spotify, metaphorically believed by some, sits back, collects data and profits from the collected data.

IS SPOTIFY REALLY FREE?

The biggest reason most users opt for Spotify as a music streaming service is the free version. But is it really free/

Users might think it is, and will gladly endure the adverts between songs to avoid paying a monthly fee. But, the streaming service still has and will use users’ personal data, even in the free version.

As Evan Greer, the director of digital advocacy organisation Fight for the Future, explains in an article by 2OceansVibeNews:

Spotify uses the same surveillance capitalist business model as Facebook and YouTube: they harvest your data and sell access to it to advertisers who think they can use that data to manipulate you into buying their products and services… They sell surveillance. Their customers are not musicians and music listeners. Their customers are advertisers.”

ALSO READ: Barcelona sign MEGA shirt sponsorship deal with Spotify

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PERSONAL DATA

Apart from the basic data like user names, addresses, favourite hits and playlist information, Spotify also collects other data and somewhat invades your data privacy.

…that may include (but is in no way limited to) general location data, search queries, “inferences (i.e., our understanding) of your interests and preferences” gathered from “certain advertising or marketing partners,” “motion-generated or orientation-generated mobile sensor data,” and, of course, a list of every song you’ve ever listened to as well as how many times and at what time of day you played it (aka your “streaming history”).

Greer continues as per 2OceansVibeNews.

Just like in the case of Facebook and Instagram it seems the streaming device uses personal data mostly for advertising purposes. If you frequent music about breakups and heartbreak, you might be a perfect fit for ads about dating apps. And music fit for exercise might work well with exercise apps.

Data protection: Streaming services like Spotify offer users a world of music for free, or does it? Image: Unsplash @David Puzaza

YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR DATA

All hope of simply being abused for your personal data is however not lost. Spotify users can limit which data, and how much of it, they share with the company.

The most immediate step users can take is to make a specific tweak to their privacy setting: turn off tailored ads.

As per Spotify‘s Privacy Settings Page:

“If you use Spotify’s ad-supported services and you opt out of receiving tailored ads, we will not share your information with third party advertising partners or use information received by them to show you tailored ads.”

Simply open Spotify, select ‘Account’ in the ‘Profile’ section, and select ‘Privacy Settings’.

Then scroll down and check that ‘Process my personal data for tailored ads’ is set to the ‘off’ position. At the same time, you can also select to ‘opt-out of Spotify processing your Facebook data’.

Apart from deleting the streaming device alltogether, by simply using it you are giving permission for certain data to be used. Always check.

If you want to complete data privacy you are going to have to delete all social media apps, unfortunately.

ALSO READ: ‘Necessary evil’: Some artists spark discussions on why can’t quit Spotify despite concerns