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Spotify apologises for confusion over new privacy terms
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 24 August 2015
So people got a bit nippy after reading Spotify’s new terms and conditions last week, didn’t they?
Just because the Spotify player wanted access to your address book, to see who you’ve been addressing of late. And just because it wanted access to your location information, to see where you’ve been located of late. And just because it wanted access to your sensor data, to see what you’ve been sensing of late.
And just because it wanted access to your media files, to see what you’ve been mediating of late. And just because it wanted access to your photos, to see what you’ve been photographing of late. And just because it wanted access to your home every third weekend, to browse through your CD collection, magazine box and underwear drawer, to see what you’ve been playing, reading and wearing of late.
What’s creepy about any of that? And without all this privileged access to your private life, how is Spotify ever meant to know that that Voice Of The Beehive track has very special memories for you, and should be put onto your personal playlist every seven weeks?
But some people thought these new terms (most of which I didn’t make up) were far from acceptable. Though worry not – angry tweeters and subscription cancellers – because this wasn’t the Spotify massive staging a full-on assault against your article eight rights under the European Convention. No. This was just one of those communication cock-ups that are so fashionable these days
“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”, declared Spotify overlord Daniel Ek. “We apologise 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”.
He understands people’s concerns, Ek went on, but Spotify would never nab your photos, or your location information, or your microphone, or your contacts, without asking for your explicit permission first, and they’d never force you to share such things either. Not only that, but “we have heard your concerns loud and clear and we will further update the new privacy policy in the coming weeks to better reflect what we have explained above”.
Phew. And I have to say, I for one am both convinced and relieved. Though Ek writing all this in note he left on my pillow in the middle of the night was a little bit creepy.
