back to article Spotify now officially even worse than the NSA

New terms and conditions popping up on Spotify users screens give the music-streaming company sweeping new rights. The “What we collect” section of the new terms seems scary enough: By using or interacting with the Service, you are consenting to: the collection, use, sharing, and processing of information about your location …

  1. msknight
    Joke

    But at least it asks you....

    ...not very nicely ... but it asks you...

    1. h4rm0ny

      Yeah, a bit like airport security 'ask you' to "step this way".

    2. rtb61

      Ultimatums are not Asking

      No one should ever consider an ultimatum a request, you have paid your money accept the new conditions or fuck off, is not a request.

      Seriously there has to be laws to cut this shit out, it is way out of control.

  2. msknight

    You know ... forget poaching Radio 1 DJ's and having Elton John present your show ... this might actually be the thing that makes Apple music succeed!

    1. Naselus

      " this might actually be the thing that makes Apple music succeed!"

      Nah, even if Spotify promised to dispatch bounty hunters to track my down and shoot me in the knee caps it'd still be better than Apple Music...

      1. Captain Scarlet

        The average person isn't going to read it or care until something high profile happens

    2. tony72

      All the streaming services do similar stuff, there's not really that much difference. See this comparison for example. Excerpt;

      "Apple, meanwhile, wants to:

      ...collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device. Where available, location-based services may use GPS, Bluetooth, and your IP Address, along with crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower locations, and other technologies to determine your devices’ approximate location."

      I may be old-fashioned, but I'll just stick to buying my music, thanks.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        All the streaming services do similar stuff

        Why do people try to make an argument for something by stating that someone else does it too to a lesser or greater extent?

        So if I slice your arm with a knife it's OK because some other mugger would stab you in the stomach or chest. Please just state why something is good or bad on its own (de)merits. I was once told that smoking was good because they could be smoking harder stuff. Childish logic that proves nothing.

        I cannot wait for someone to hack the shit out of all the data miners and spread it on the net, or just abuse the fools who give up everything because its 'Free'.

        1. Mark 85

          Re: All the streaming services do similar stuff

          I cannot wait for someone to hack the shit out of all the data miners and spread it on the net, or just abuse the fools who give up everything because its 'Free'.

          As we all know (or should know), it's not "if" a site gets hacked and the data released into the wild, but "when". I believe you'll have your wish. The problem is that the 'Net is a target-rich environment and it may be awhile before they (Spotify) get their hack.

        2. tony72

          Re: All the streaming services do similar stuff

          Why do people try to make an argument for something by stating that someone else does it too to a lesser or greater extent?

          I made no such argument. The person I replied to was suggesting that the bad Spotify terms would make Apple Music a good option. I pointed out that Apple Music also wants to collect and use all sorts of personal data, and so might not actually be a much better option. I didn't say it was OK in either case, quite the opposite, if you read what I wrote.

      2. Frank N. Stein

        Hence, why I don't use any streaming music services. No thanks.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Another option is to go the Xprivacy root and feed them a load of false info.

          I know, the problem with that is it's not easy for an average user and most people won't even know it exists.

  3. Trollslayer

    II thought El Reg was exagerrating

    But it's not!

    1. msknight

      Re: II thought El Reg was exagerrating

      El Reg? Exaggerating? Surely not!

      Go wash your keyboard out with soap and water!

    2. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge

      Re: II thought El Reg was exagerrating

      I had read some other reports on the new terms before wandering round to El Reg and it seems Spotify's 'defence' is they will only collect / use / exploit the information they acquire under some particular circumstances, where the user / victim has granted permission, but that's not quite what the terms themselves say. It appears to give them virtually unlimited scope to do whatever they damn well please.

      I accept that it is sometime difficult to come up with terms to allow something without appearing to allow more than is intended but that can usually be clarified by having some statement of "but only when the user explicitly allows us to".

      Spotify doesn't seem to have any of that. Just saying they won't doesn't mean they won't and particularly once given permission to do so.

      1. P. Lee

        Re: II thought El Reg was exagerrating

        It's the "you won't be able to use our service but we're still going to bill you" that cracks me up. There's no technical problem, but we just feel like doing it.

        I suspect spotify is going to learn how fickle Internet users of free services are. Perhaps not straight away, but it will happen. Someone will accidentally allow spotify to tweet or advertise on fb that they are listening to Celine Dion, the newspapers will pick it up and the userbase will disappear.

  4. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    New T&Cs

    To which you may "choose" to accept and continue using the service, or refuse and be banned from using it any more.

    That is not a choice.

    I think it is high time for this EULA/T&C issue to be brought to court. The users who signed up for the service in the beginning did not sign up for this, and there is no right to foist it on them now under pain of banishment. Feels very much like a bait-and-switch argument to me. Come on in, we'll allow you to listen to music, in exchange for money. Oh, now that you're in, you have to agree to selling your soul and that of all your acquaintances, else you can't listen to anything anymore, but we keep your money until you cancel explicitely.

    Not acceptable.

    It is time to oblige companies to respect the contractual obligations of Commercial Law. If payment is required for a service, then it is a contract. If it is a contract, then one side cannot change the conditions without consent from the other side.

    That means that Spotify should not be allowed to change its T&Cs without user consent. No banishment should be possible if users refuse, Spotify should continue to provide the service that users initially signed up for.

    1. heyrick Silver badge

      That was downvoted?

      It seems entirely sensible and reasonable.

      1. nematoad

        Re: That was downvoted?

        "It seems entirely sensible and reasonable."

        Probably that's why.

    2. Mage Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: New T&Cs

      No-one is forcing you to use Spotify. Loads of people have health, wealth and mirth without it.

    3. Charles 9

      Re: New T&Cs

      "It is time to oblige companies to respect the contractual obligations of Commercial Law. If payment is required for a service, then it is a contract. If it is a contract, then one side cannot change the conditions without consent from the other side."

      Most contracts contain a "subject to change at any time" clause, sometimes including a "without notice" disclaimer. Since it's part of the contract, it's enforceable unless there is a specific law which forbids the practice (and last I checked, no such law exists). It's like with laws themselves. Laws can be changed to make things illegal and so on. It's just that (in some jurisdictions like the US), the law cannot be retroactive and must only apply to anything going forward.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: New T&Cs

      Don't be stupid: what they are doing is asking for your consent to change the terms of the contract. If you don't consent then they are exercising their option to terminate the contract.

      1. DavCrav

        Re: New T&Cs

        "If you don't consent then they are exercising their option to terminate the contract."

        Except, they continue to charge you unless you separately cancel it yourself. So they are not terminating the contract, they are changing the contract unilaterally.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: New T&Cs

          good point: that seems like either a bug or malice.

        2. Captain DaFt
    5. Zog_but_not_the_first

      Re: New T&Cs

      Hmmm. Hard to understand the posters who downvoted this accurate appraisal of an unacceptable situation.

      I wonder what the courts would make of this kind of tactic. When I try to explain to cynical friends (Oh! It doesn't matter etc.), I use "real life" analogues. Driving into a garage to buy some petrol and having your car searched "to serve you better". Being frisked when you walk into a shop and having your pockes turned out "to serve you better".

      If that still doesn't convince them I ask how they'd feel if someone was following their teenage children around, taking notes on where they went, who they talked to and taking photographs and videos of them. That usually gets their attention.

      Still, with MS getting on the bandwagon with Win 10 it's becoming an arms race to see who can be the biggest snoop.

      1. Electron Shepherd

        Re: New T&Cs

        Everyone's doing it these days. AdvancedInstaller (who, apart from the following, make a very good product), recently added "Analytics" that phones home with all the details every time you install an MSI built with their software. See http://www.advancedinstaller.com/analytics/.

      2. Sven Coenye
        Mushroom

        Re: New T&Cs

        You don't even need analogues.

        I refused to accept a change to PayPal's T&Cs a while back so they blocked the account. I couldn't even delete it without accepting the new T&Cs. By itself, this wasn't much of a problem as I only ever used it on eBay and I'd abandoned that pile long before.

        However, since that incident, PayPal has become a generic payment processor. And what I've come to find out is that they now block my use of any of the credit cards I'd attached to my PayPal account with merchants that happen to use PayPal as their payment gateway.

        B*stards!

        (Maybe this will resolve itself as the cards expire, but as the number stays the same, maybe not. Anyhoo, let's just say anyone using PayPal as their only gateway is not going to get any business from me anytime soon...)

        1. DavCrav

          Re: New T&Cs

          "Maybe this will resolve itself as the cards expire, but as the number stays the same, maybe not."

          I was under the impression that renewed cards had different numbers. They do for me.

    6. Naselus

      Re: New T&Cs

      "he users who signed up for the service in the beginning did not sign up for this, and there is no right to foist it on them now under pain of banishment."

      Um... yes, there is. They can refuse to deal with you if you refuse the T&Cs. This also applies when, just for example, your bank sends you a letter informing you that they've changed the T&Cs on your bank account. Try writing back to them saying they've no right to do so and that you'll take them to court about it. In fact, try asking your legal representative if he thinks you'd have a case.

      Just because you signed up to a service at one point on one rate does not mean that you have a legal right to receive it at that rate forever after. And that's a GOOD thing - otherwise, your employer would never need to give you a pay rise. Ever.

      1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

        @ Naselus

        Please explain how the conditions of use have anything to do with the rate at which the service is charged.

        Real-life analogy : you rent an appartment. After one year and one month, your landlord tells you that, in order to continue living in that appartment, you have to give him your Facebook pwd and the names of all your friends. if you don't, he'll throw you out.

        Apparently, you think that that is normal. Congratulations, you are part of the problem.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: @ Naselus

          "Real-life analogy : you rent an appartment. After one year and one month, your landlord tells you that, in order to continue living in that appartment, you have to give him your Facebook pwd and the names of all your friends. if you don't, he'll throw you out."

          It may be weird in context, but is it forbidden by law? Probably not. As the property owner, he's allowed to set his own terms unless restricted by law. It's like a lot of the landlords I know that hassle you about personal checks to pay the rent (they prefer money orders) on the risk that one will bounce.

          1. GrumpenKraut

            Re: @ Naselus

            > It may be weird in context, but is it forbidden by law? Probably not.

            I suspect that in all of Europe that landlord could land in legal trouble. Here in Krautistan he'd almost certainly receive the best of legal hell we have to offer, even attempting to breach the privacy of personal communication is something that judges tend to get quite irate about.

            "personal communication", because not all of farcebook is completely in the open, at least nominally.

          2. Headley_Grange Silver badge

            Re: @AC

            The landlord (and tenant) can only do what the contract (and, in my case, English law) allows. If the tenancy agreement allows the landlord to vary the terms of the contract in this manner with no agreement from the tenant then he can, and the tenant would be a bloody idiot for having signed a contract like this. More likely, a tenancy agreement will not allow such changes and if the landlord wanted to change the terms he'd either have to get the agreement of the tenant to a change in the agreement (and the tenant would be at liberty to negotiate consideration for the change - e.g. a rent reduction) or give the tenant notice IAW the existing contract terms and then try to get them (or new tenants) to agree the contract with the Facebook, etc, terms in it.

            The important thing is that either party can only do what the in-force contract (legally) allows. I suspect (can't be bothered to check) that the original Spotify terms allow Spotify to change the Ts&Cs at any point and the only rights the user has in this circumstance is either to accept or to stop using the service.

            1. Charles 9

              Re: @AC

              "The landlord (and tenant) can only do what the contract (and, in my case, English law) allows."

              The key aspect is that it's usually the landlord that presents the contract, usually on "take it or leave it" terms.

    7. Mark 85

      Re: New T&Cs

      That means that Spotify should not be allowed to change its T&Cs without user consent. No banishment should be possible if users refuse, Spotify should continue to provide the service that users initially signed up for.

      Not just Spotify but everyone else. Seems like all the players are doing this including the OS types.

      1. DropBear

        Re: New T&Cs

        The problem isn't that unilateral change of terms of service is illegal - you agree to it signing up for anything these days. The problem is that is SHOULD BE illegal but isn't.

  5. Electron Shepherd
    Black Helicopters

    And people ask me why I'm not on Facebook

    This is why. If one of my friends thinks it's OK to give up their privacy, they are also giving up mine, whether I want it or not.

    1. auburnman

      Re: And people ask me why I'm not on Facebook

      I was going to mention this - a Spotify user shouldn't be asked to consent to the scraping of their friends details as it is not the user's data therefore they have no authority to consent.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. sysconfig

    And there goes my subscription...

    None of the information they want to collect is relevant to my music taste (and generated playlists).

    Subscription cancelled straight away. Thanks El Reg for the heads-up. (I haven't seen a prompt for the new T&C yet, but I might have done what most of us do when confronted with lengthy legalese...)

    1. Ole Juul

      Re: And there goes my subscription...

      I don't have one, but this serves as a warning to not even bother looking into getting one.

  7. Turtle

    Candor.

    "Spotify is constantly innovating and evolving its service to deliver the best possible experience for our users."

    And by "their users" they mean those corporate entities who pay to "use" the information that Spotify extracts from their subscribers.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So, wait

    Did anyone think they weren't collecting this stuff? Really? Especially if you use Facebook credentials to log in?

    1. Ole Juul

      Re: So, wait

      Did anyone think they weren't collecting this stuff?

      Probably not. But the point of the article is that Spotify is now much worse than most other companies in this regard.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: So, wait

        Is it? What do apple scrape from you? What does Googlebook scrape from you?

  9. jb99

    Cancelled my subscription.

    It doesn't need to do _any_ of those things to play music to me. This is simply abuse.

    Well they have one less subscriber now. I don't suppose they'll care.

  10. Tom 38

    despotify

    On the desktop at least, you can work around most of this tracking if you use a despotify based client like Clementine, which certainly isn't passing this information along.

    OTOH, they have to put in their T&C the things that they do. Their newest feature is running music, you start running and it plays appropriate beat music for your speed, which obviously requires tracking how fast you are going, which requires logging where you were and how long ago. If you aren't using the running feature, I don't think spotify will be doing that extra work, but because they might (if you ask them to do it!), it has to be in the T&C.

    1. Alan_Peery

      Re: despotify

      They could easily make a "Spotify Running" version of the app, and only put the privacy invading features there.

  11. Laura Kerr
    Mushroom

    As good a reason as any to keep on ripping CDs

    END USER AGREEMENT

    What you may collect

    This section is intentionally left blank.

    Interaction Management

    By using or interacting with the Service, I am aware that you will attempt, without notice either in advance or at the time of attempt, to harvest every bit of data you can about me, including, but without limitation to, my location, contacts, email addresses, Facebook account details and friends lists, LinkedIn account details and friends list, plus any documents that have passwords set on them, with the express intention of selling such data for the purposes of flooding my inbox with spam, watching where I go on the Web and shoving unwanted ads at me without caring at all that you're using up my monthly allowance.

    Given such awareness, you agree to my employing such measures that I in my absolute discretion see fit to counteract this activity, including, but without being limited to, the provision of false credentials, blocking advertisements, re-routing your traffic through servers located in countries that will interest the CIA and NSA, and taking any and all steps that I may deem necessary to poison your data collection to the extend of rendering it worthless. Furthermore, I reserve the right to publicise both the extent of such poisoning and the methods employed to achieve it, so that your customers may be deterred from making further data purchases and other interested parties may have the ability to poison further data collection attempts. Such method release(s) will be in accordance with the GNU Public License.

    In addition to the foregoing, I reserve absolutely the right to levy distress for any and all unsolicited traffic originating from yourselves that may pass through my device(s), and will either invoice you at the rate applicable at the time of traffic reception (currently £350 + VAT per kilobyte) or may retain such intellectual property of yourselves that I in my absolute discretion consider adequate compensation for the unlawful abstraction of computing resources from my device(s).

    TL;DR

    I don't use Spotify and won't ever do so now. But I decide what leaves my system and will do whatever's necessary to block unwanted traffic. If these arrogant data hoovers can't take the hint, I'll liberate their music and video content as compensation for their theft of my computing resources. Seems a fair exchange to me.

    1. Hollerith 1

      Re: As good a reason as any to keep on ripping CDs

      Ms Kerr, first, bloody brilliant. Second, will you marry me?

      1. Laura Kerr
        Happy

        Re: As good a reason as any to keep on ripping CDs

        "Second, will you marry me?"

        You'll have to buy me dinner first ;-)

  12. Charles 9

    If not for car CD players and other people disconnected from the Net, I would've thought music labels would've abandoned physical media long ago and gone strictly to rental and subscription models so they can keep their music under control.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It not that bad, at least they don't use the phones camera to know when I take a shit.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "...at least they don't use the phones camera to know when I take a shit"

      Although that could form the basis of a new smart playlist. Come on Reg readers, let's suggest some appropriate songs - I'll kick off with "Boom Shake The Room" and "Every Breath You Take".

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @ Evil Graham re: appropriate songs

        'When the shit goes down' by Cypress Hill?

        'Turd on the run' by the Stones?

        'Big log' by Robert Plant?

        1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

          Re: @ Evil Graham re: appropriate songs

          Don't forget

          When the Levee Breaks - Led Zep

          What's Goin' On Here - Deep Purple

          and a host of others

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: @ Evil Graham re: appropriate songs

          "Brown-Eyed Curl"...

    2. Smilin' Stan
    3. Camilla Smythe

      RE: at least they don't use the phones camera to know when I take a shit.

      No.. they just rifle through your picture folders to hoover up the ones you took yourself.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      at least they don't use the phones camera to know when I take a shit.

      Ah, but now I know why sound-pattern analyser Shazam was upgraded. Damn.

  14. Steve Crook

    Easy to be smug

    I'm sure horseshit statements that start "Throughout, the privacy and security of our customers' data is – and will remain – <our> highest priority." were plentiful in the marketing guff from Ashley Madison.

    Sort of reminded of this: "Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales?" from "A Man For All Seasons"

    1. Turtle

      @ Steve Crook - A Great Quote!

      "Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales?"

      An outstanding line from an outstanding movie! In fact I'd have to list it as one of the all-time great movie quotes. (I have read the play too but don't recall if that line was in it.)

  15. Fraggle850
    Devil

    Colour me cynical but...

    I don't suppose this is linked to El Reg's 9th May story: 'Spotify springs bloody leak as losses grow to $197m – report'?

    They wouldn't be embarking on such a massive data grab merely to explore new ways to deliver users to the marketing industry, would they?

    Not on Spotify nor on Facebook so watching from the sidelines with a smug grin.

  16. Zog_but_not_the_first
    WTF?

    Subscription option!?

    I hadn't appreciated that these changes apply to the subscription option. So, if you're not paying for the product, you are the product.

  17. Vimes

    You could always let them know how you feel about it.

    http://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=b-11075&c=Spotify

    1. Charles 9

      In a world full of obedient sheep, what's a few rebellious goats to them? The only way you'll make them pay attention is to become a WOLF...and take the sheep away.

  18. Wibbly Wobbly

    "Local law may require that you seek the consent of your contacts to provide their personal information to Spotify, which may use that information for the purposes specified in this privacy policy"

    Wow. So they're even admitting what they're doing may be illegal for their customer user without action from the customer?

  19. The Original Steve

    Xbox Music

    Anyone know what Microsoft's Xbox Music / Groove Music service is like privacy wise in comparison?

    Cheaper than Spotify, and as I have a Lumia, Win10 work laptop, Win10 HTPC, Win10 Linx 10 tablet and an Xbox One it sort of makes sense.

    Interested in how it compares...

    1. King Jack

      Re: Xbox Music

      Windows 10 hoovers up all your data, so no privacy there. I'd guess other windows hardware will do similar.

  20. Avatar of They
    WTF?

    Bit shit.

    I don't use spotify, but to know one of my friends has signed up for it, and because my friend has signed up, spotify now has my details through facebook I find rather offensive.

    One thing for me to sign over stuff to facebook. But that is my choice, this is just bollox. Do I get a say in whether or not spotify can data mine me as well???

    Of course I don't. Time to rethink my friends on facebook.

    1. jonathan1

      Re: Bit shit.

      Twitter client does this aswell; lots of friends have come on Twitter and I recieved emails letting me know x is now on twitter...do you want to follow.

      I guess most social media & contected companies with social media aspirations have realised that the direct tap into a person's phone gives the richest data for building a more accurate web of who is really connected with whom. I assumed this is why FB bought Whatsapp. Plenty of people on my FB who I don't actually talk with or see which generates noise.

  21. kms

    Only Facebook users need apply

    Should have seen this coming, a few years ago the only way to sign up to spotify was via your Facebook account. No Facebook no Spotify account,

    Now we know what they were trying to do.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Some users on the Spotify forum have already said they will decamp

    while the 99% of the rest will keep grazing happily ever after, as is the case with EVERY data grab, be it facebook, google, microsoft, your local and national gov. They know it, we know it, they know that we know it, so what.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Some users on the Spotify forum have already said they will decamp

      It's time to take off your shoes.

    2. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      That is unfortunately very true

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Anyone at El Reg asked the ICO for an opinion?

    I think the enforced sharing of data that is not even your own, for a paid service (i.e. its not even to keep it free) is getting a bit out of hand...

    Its to a third party, likely to be in a different country, with a defintion of use of data so broad there may as well be no definition at all. It certainly seems to be moving away from the basic provision of selling or streaming music.

  24. Potemkine Silver badge
    Megaphone

    When someone says "Privacy and security of our customers' data is our highest priority"

    you know you're being conned.

    1. Mark 85
      Devil

      Re: When someone says "Privacy and security of our customers' data is our highest priority"

      This is very similar to the old saying: "When a politician talks about his honesty and integrity, check your wallet.".

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: When someone says "Privacy and security of our customers' data is our highest priority"

      You think too highly of them - that statement is just meaningless bot-response you hear from every company. They lost data of 6 bilions customers? = "care deeply about privacy and make every effort to secure it". They sell your data to all and sundry and just got exposed? = "we respect our users' privacy and strive to communicate our policy as best we can". etc. Every time they (i.e. google, apple, facebook and their minion pals) move the goalpost ("to serve their customers better"), there's a howl of indignation, 5-minute media storm, empty threats about closing down this or that account and then - business as usual.

    3. Hollerith 1

      Re: When someone says "Privacy and security of our customers' data is our highest priority"

      "It's our priority to break it and crush it to sand beneath our feet."

  25. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Meh

    So...

    Use the web version of Spotify so you're not using the desktop version which can get much more information from your computer, in a private window so it can't get to your Facebook profile, deny location information, and log in with a Spotify login instead of a Facebook log in.

    Log into Facebook from a non-private window and change your Facebook password. If you use a Spotify account linked to a Facebook account then unlink it, if you log in directly with Facebook and want to carry on using the free service then open a new Spotify account.

    In the longer term, look for another service.

    And those of us who never linked their Spotify account to Facebook or used a Facebook account to log in can sit back feeling smug.

  26. Lostintranslation

    Spotify managed to camp for less than 12 hours on my computer. It's now uninstalled.

    Thanks for letting me know.

  27. ma1010
    Mushroom

    Bin It

    This is obviously ridiculous, and everyone should dump Spotify right away. It's "vote with your wallet" time. Hopefully enough people will dump it that their bottom line will be affected. I've always been leery of them.

    I love to listen to music a lot, as well, but I use Rok Mobile which, although it has its own problems, doesn't seem to be as intrusive.

  28. Valeyard

    alternatives

    Can anyone suggest a good alternative to spotify with no ads, offline play and a good library?

    Preparing to pay since soon I'll have a freshly cancelled subscription..

    1. Fred Dibnah
      Unhappy

      Re: alternatives

      A record shop.

      In a high street somewhere near you.

      Or maybe not.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: alternatives

      I hear people are moving over to Deezer, but haven't taken a look yet.

      I didn't use Spotify, but I sent this article to my son who is now already setting up an account there (gingerly avoiding providing social media details).

      1. Valeyard

        Re: alternatives

        thanks, a guy at work has just recommended Deezer too so I'll be taking a look at it tonight (20 minutes before a 2 hr commute is not the time to change music platforms..)

  29. Kyorin

    Uninstalled from my Windows phone

    Uninstalled from my Windows phone - end of.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good reason to use an iPhone

    Spotify can try to collect all that data like GPS location, contacts etc. but unless you specifically allow it there's no way the app can do so. You're safe, regardless of what their T&Cs claim they you're agreeing they have the right to do. On Android if it requires those permissions to install, then you're stuck as you can't later reduce its permissions.

    Though on second thought, the best idea is to stay the hell away from any app that claims such broad rights just so you can hear music. There are plenty of alternatives in that space, fortunately.

    1. Charles 9

      Re: Good reason to use an iPhone

      Then Android M can't come soon enough, as M is supposed to finally introduce ubiquitous user-controllable permissions.

      PS. What's to stop an app balking when it detects you've blocked access to something, along the lines of, "We need this permission to function properly. Please enable the function to continue using this app"?

  31. Diogenes

    No compelling use case

    I don't give a shit what my "friends" listen to the fact that colleague Brian is listening to Patsy Kline, Mrs D is listening to Elvis, and neighbour is listening to AC-DC impacts me not - (I have a CD of Tallis, Byrd , Ockeghem etc) on at the moment so you can guess why - so keep out of my friends list !.

    I don't run(or exercise much for that matter) , so I don't need "running" music - s leave my gps/accelerometer alone !

    My friends and I already know what we look like .so I don't need a photo (if they went trawling they would find lots of photos taken on my last prototype finding information expedition to the Hunter Valley, photos of signal boxes, coal wagons, old colliery buildings, track, cuttings, sleepers, ballast etc etc with nary a human in sight). so keep out of my photos

    Account cancelled.

  32. PAT MCCLUNG

    Truly hard to understand why 20 million people would patronize this spyware. No force on earth can save people like this! Plenty of places to get the information and media you want without this aggressively intrusive media slut.

  33. oneeye

    A Growing Trend!

    I HAD an app to monitor permissions of all other apps. That is until "mypermissions" decided to add several NEW permissions to their own app,(which they conveniently Don't scan) . They wanted access to sms/mms, Nfc, and ALL three location permissions. All so they could add a new parental monitoring service,AND make app recomendations. All of which I now consider spyware and adware. They completely changed the nature of the app,and now wanted to utilize the user base to spy and spam you in real time! How nice,right?

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