Spotify has announced a 'creepy' new privacy policy and people are worried
Spotify have increased the amounts of information they can potentially gather from users
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Your support makes all the difference.Spotify has updated its privacy policy, and some of the new terms are causing concern to people worried about how much information the music streaming service is gathering about them.
Sections 3.3 and 3.4 of Spotify's privacy policy say that the app will now collected much more data about its users.
The section 'Information Stored on Your Mobile Device' says that: "With your permission, we may collect information stored on your mobile device, such as contacts, photos or media files."
In the next section, it says: "We may also collect information about your location based on, for example, your phone's GPS location or other forms of locating mobile devices (e.g Bluetooth)."
"We may also collect sensor data (e.g., data about the speed of your movements, such as whether you are running, walking or in transit.)"
This new iteration of the privacy policy has been significantly beefed up - the same section, in an archived version of the policy from 9 July, is only eight lines long and makes no mention of what specific data it may collect."
It's unclear why Spotify would require access to contacts or photos, but the company specifies further down that when it supplies your information to advertisers, it hides your identity.
Forbes magazine questioned whether the launch of competitor Apple Music has caused Spotify to try and increase its revenue by collecting and selling data.
Whatever the reason, many paying subscribers to the service are reacting with anger, with some saying they plan to cancel their accounts.
The Independent has contacted Spotify for comment.
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