When You Listen, They Watch: Pre-Saving Albums Can Allow Labels To Track Users on Spotify (billboard.com) 15
Pre-saving albums on Spotify can give music labels access to personal user data like emails addresses and playlists, according to a Billboard report. From a report: To pre-save music, which adds a release to a user's library as soon as it comes out, Spotify users click through and approve permissions that give the label far more account access than the streaming giant normally grants them -- enough to track what they listen to, change what artists they follow and potentially even control their music streaming remotely. This lets labels access some of the data that streaming companies usually guard for themselves -- which they want in order to compete with the streaming giants on a more even playing field. But at a time when the policies of online giants like Google and Facebook has made online privacy a contentious issue, music's pre-saving process could begin to spark concern among consumers, and perhaps even regulators.
Labels also ask for far more permissions than they need. Spotify users who, for example, tried to pre-save the Little Mix single "Bounce Back" from links shared by the act or its label, Sony Music, were prompted to agree that Spotify could allow Sony to "view your Spotify account data," "view your activity on Spotify" and "take actions in Spotify on your behalf." The exact permissions Sony requests are only visible to those who click through to the corresponding submenus, so users may not fully understand all that they're agreeing to -- or that the changes apply to their account unless they change it on Spotify's website.
Labels also ask for far more permissions than they need. Spotify users who, for example, tried to pre-save the Little Mix single "Bounce Back" from links shared by the act or its label, Sony Music, were prompted to agree that Spotify could allow Sony to "view your Spotify account data," "view your activity on Spotify" and "take actions in Spotify on your behalf." The exact permissions Sony requests are only visible to those who click through to the corresponding submenus, so users may not fully understand all that they're agreeing to -- or that the changes apply to their account unless they change it on Spotify's website.
Re: (Score:2)
"Spotify could allow Sony to "view your Spotify account data," "view your activity on Spotify" and "take actions in Spotify on your behalf." The exact permissions Sony requests are only visible to those who click through to the corresponding submenus, so users may not fully understand all that they're agreeing to"
Isn't this the same Sony who tried to infect users with a rootkit?
Yes. The leopard does not change its spots.
So what's the problem? (Score:1)
Just don't give permission, heh, like that will stop them.
Please, if you use Spotify, they have everything. Why would anybody believe otherwise?
Say what?!?!?!? (Score:2)
Not me, suckers! (Score:1)
CDs for the win (Score:2)
Not long ago the question asked who was still using CDs, and why.
This is why. No one to track you, no one to manipulate you for their own gain, no one to add you to the stewing vat of data. You listen to what you want, when you want, without any harassment or manipulation.
When will people learn??? (Score:4, Interesting)
When will people just learn that the way forward is just to own your own music, DRM free, in for format you want? They tried to DRM all the music, and people accepted it for a while until they tried to move their music from an iPod to an anything else. Getting rid of DRM was a real knife fight. They didn't want to cede the control they had. At first they thought they could just make the folks who wanted control of their music to shut up. It was only when enough people realized what the ramifications of letting Apple et al control where and what and when we could listen was just double plus not good, and when enough of the little players announced they were going DRM free that we finally got the cascade momentum going to change the big players.
And now, look at what's happening? They are doing it to us again, and we're letting them! Apple announced they aren't even going to sell songs any more. It's all streaming (because, ya, I want to use my phone bandwidth that way), as if we don't every single one of us have enough space on our phones for more hours of music than we have hours of life left. But no, streaming is just better. Until you become the product, and what you listen to and when and how are commodities to be sold, and they can control your listening to the music they want to make popular, and they can control what you even have access to. Wait until the (service du jour) loses access to (music catalog du jour) and suddenly all your playlists are bereft of all that cool indie music you learned to love because you're on a hip streaming service now.
If you want music streaming, download Radio Droid, a free and open source internet radio player that gives you access to thousands of streaming radio stations across the world. If you like metal, then listen to a metal station in Norway. If you like celtic, then find a cool station in Wales. Mix it up. Then when you find a song, record it off the radio, find where you can buy it, or just steal it until they get the picture and give us buyable music again.
For heavens sake, do this before we are at the point where we can't any more. Or you can kiss your music access goodbye once you don't have control of your own content. Spotify is NOT your friend. Apple is NOT your friend. They are out to squeeze you, and if we give them that power then once the owned music paradigm is gone, just watch how they tighten their grip.
In Soviet Amerika, Songs listen to You (Score:2)
Ain't that the truth?
Fuck this shit (Score:2)