New Delhi, Dec 30 (NationPress) The renowned music streaming service Spotify has recently faced backlash after some users reported encountering sexually explicit content in the search results on its platform.
As highlighted in a report by The Verge on Monday, a Reddit user shared a screenshot showing a search on Spotify that displayed "a pornographic video included among the suggested results for the artist M.I.A".
A representative from Spotify informed The Verge that such content "has been removed due to a breach of our policies".
According to the platform's content moderation guidelines, it actively removes any content that features sexually explicit material.
Recent discussions on Reddit have provided examples of "unexpected explicit videos appearing in search results" on Spotify, as well as instances of "even erotic audio tracks being suggested in one user’s Discovery Weekly playlist".
A 2022 article by Vice claimed there was "an unexpected number of individuals who had attempted to upload explicit sex images to Spotify".
Reports indicate that the app includes a feature to block the playback of explicit content in user profiles, yet even when this setting is activated, such searches still bypass that filter.
Spotify's terms of service prohibit "pornography or any visual representation of genitalia or nudity intended for sexual gratification."
Launched in 2008, Spotify now allows more listeners than ever to explore, manage, and enjoy over 100 million tracks, 6 million podcasts, and 350,000 audiobooks on demand.
According to the company, "We are the world’s leading audio streaming subscription service with over 640 million users, including 252 million subscribers across more than 180 markets."
As of the third quarter of 2024 (which concluded on September 30), Spotify reported that its global premium subscriber count exceeded 252 million paying users.
The total number of global monthly active users (MAUs) increased by 11 percent year-on-year, reaching 640 million in Q3 2024.
