Spotify criticised amid data privacy difficulties

Spotify has recently received significant attention for the way they are handling consumer’s rights with regards to accessing their own data. We all have our own accounts with our favourite music streaming services, but not many of us truly consider looking the extent of what or how much of our data they actually have and how they handle it. Some people have tried to obtain this information from streaming service Spotify and have been left concerned with how little they have been told about how their data is processed.

As a result of these complaints, The General Data Inspection Authority (GDPR) has launched an investigation into Spotify’s stance on data privacy and has issued a report on the situation. It appears that Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation is the controversial point of discussion. Under Article 15, users of Spotify are allowed a copy of their exact data that the company holds. Furthermore, they are also able to see who else receives this data from Spotify and how all parties process your information.

Spotify isn’t the only music streaming service to have had complaints regarding data privacy, with Apple Music suffering the same problems under Article 15. It seems clear that both value personal security and are working to resolve the issue, working with the GDPR to review and refine their data protection protocols.

If you are a Spotify user and wish to clarify how your data may be used by the company, be sure to check out the Spotify Privacy Centre.