Spotify CEO apologized in a blog post to the users dissatisfied with the new Privacy Policy recently introduced (somewhat under the radar) on the popular music streaming site.
Spotify users complained and warned the platform owners that they will end their subscriptions and migrate to another music streaming service if they do not go back to the previous privacy policy.
The new privacy policy helps users find their Facebook, Twitter and smartphone contacts via Spotify, and the Chief Executive, Daniel Ek, states in a blog post titled “Sorry” that if you do not want to share your identity on the platform you do not have to.
The popular company, however, added the function in the Spotify official app, through which they can have access and use your smartphone contacts, photo library and location coordinates, among many other information collected by your device. The news that the music streaming company might want to spy on its clients a bit too much led to an upheaval on social media services as well as on the blogosphere.
According to Ek, the option would enable Spotify users to use customized features such as their own cover art to their shared playlists. The CEO nonetheless apologized for the sudden move, but he’s hopeful that the user base will understand the change and they will eventually embrace it, promising that their data will not be subjected to any abuse.
Daniel Ek plans an update for the Spotify privacy policy to shed light for the user base. He emphasizes the fact that Spotify will not able to track down any of your activities unless you allow it to. And if you choose to share it, they will use that information only with their commercial partners and mobile networks affiliates.
Until then, Android users might have to wait for an update of the official app until they can deny access to their location and data, while iOS customers can already do that.
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