Spotify CEO Apologizes for Privacy Policy Confusion

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on Friday apologized for causing confusion with the music-streaming site's recent privacy update.

"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," Ek wrote in a blog post.

At issue is a policy update Spotify announced earlier this week. The company said the move was intended to make Spotify "as open and transparent and possible," but some of the updates prompted concern. Specifically, Spotify noted that "we may ask for customer permission to collect information from new sources, such as address book, location, and sensor data from the mobile device to improve the customer experience and inform product decisions."

The news resulted in at least one high-profile account cancellation: Minecraft creator Markus Persson.

I just cancelled mine too. https://t.co/vJ9jJ7T2xy

— Markus Persson (@notch) August 21, 2015

Ek responded to Persson's tweet, explaining that "we explicitly will ask when using camera or GPS" in order to change a playlist image or operate Spotify Running. Persson was not convinced, arguing that Spotify was "evil."

Others jumped in to point out that many Web services have similar policies. "Giving permission to some parties doesn't mean I want to give permission to all," Persson responded, after pointing out that he also distrusts Windows 10.

Perhaps sensing that Twitter was not the best way to hash out a privacy debate, Ek turned to Spotify's blog this morning to spell out exactly how Spotify accesses content. All these examples require Spotify to get your permission before using.

• Photos: This will let you do things like create personalized cover art for a playlist or change your profile image.
• Location: "We would use it to help personalize recommendations or to keep you up to date about music trending in your area," Ek wrote.
• Voice: This will access your microphone so you can use voice controls to skip tracks, pause, or otherwise navigate the app.
• Contacts: Share playlists with friends. "In the future, we may want to give you the ability to find your friends on Spotify by searching for Spotify users in your contacts if you choose to do that," Ek wrote.
• Data Sharing: If you sign up with a third party, like a mobile provider, your data is shared with them. "We also share some data with our partners who help us with marketing and advertising efforts, but this information is de-identified – your personal information is not shared with them," Ek wrote.

Ek promised to update the new Privacy Policy in the coming weeks to better explain what it entails. "We understand people's concerns about their personal information and are 100 percent committed to protecting our users' privacy and ensuring that you have control over the information you share," he wrote.

For more, check out 21 Spotify Tricks That Will Make You a Streaming Samurai.