Spotify CEO Daniel Ek apologises to users amid privacy fears

Music streaming giants have recently updated their privacy policy, leaving some users concerned

Spotify’s chief executive, Daniel Ek, has apologised to users after some became angry at changes to the music streaming service’s privacy policy.

Ek, pictured above on the right) was forced to issue a statement online after the company came in for criticism from users after it was revealed that in addition to birth days and email addresses, Spotify will also be able to access users contacts, photos and location as part of new services they are providing. It was stated that some of this information would be shared with advertisers.

Spotify said it may be able to collect sensor data, such as “data about the speed of your movements, such as whether you are running, walking, or in transit”.

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The new terms come in advance of the launch of Spotify Running, which matchesmusic to the pace at which a user is running and the already launched Discover Weekly, which curates a weekly playlist based on listeners’ tastes.

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In his statement, Ek claimed that there was “confusion” over the privacy policy among users and that the cmpany should have made it clearer what data they were able to access.

“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 wrote.

Ushering in the change in policy, a company statement said: “Spotify is constantly innovating and evolving its service to deliver the best possible experience for our users. This means delivering the perfect recommendations for every moment, and helping you to enjoy, discover and share more music than ever before. The data accessed simply helps us to tailor improved experiences to our users, and build new and personalised products for the future.

“Throughout, the privacy and security of our customers’ data is – and will remain – Spotify’s highest priority.”

Spotify recently announced that it now has 75 million active users, of whom 20 million are paying subscribers.

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The streaming service’s number of paying subscribers has doubled since May 2014, when Spotify laid claim to 40 million active users and 10 million paying subscribers. The company claims to have gained a new subscriber on average every three seconds in the last year.

Spotify also states that it has now paid out over $3 billion (£1.93 billion) in royalties to artists since launching in 2008, of which $300 million (£193 million) came in the first three months of 2015 alone.

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