Privacy Policy

20230101_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20220801_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT, DATE APPROXIMATE

Full text changes — 20220801_rev01 to 20230101_rev01

1## [**Spotify Privacy Policy**]()
1Your privacy is important. As of 30 December, we've updated our Privacy Policy to make it easier to read and comply with new U.S. laws.
22
3Effective as of 8 June 2022
3Effective as of 1 January 2023
44
5[1 About this Policy]()
5[1\. About this Policy]()
66
7[2 Your personal data rights and controls]()
7[2\. Your personal data rights and controls]()
88
9[3 Personal data we collect about you]()
9[3\. Personal data we collect about you]()
1010
11[4 Our purpose for using your personal data]()
11[4\. Our purpose for using your personal data]()
1212
13[5 Sharing your personal data]()
13[5\. Sharing your personal data]()
1414
15[6 Data retention]()
15[6\. Data retention]()
1616
17[7 Transfer to other countries]()
17[7\. Transfer to other countries]()
1818
19[8 Keeping your personal data safe]()
19[8\. Keeping your personal data safe]()
2020
21[9 Children]()
21[9\. Children]()
2222
23[10 Changes to this Policy]()
23[10\. Changes to this Policy]()
2424
25[11 How to contact us]()
25[11\. How to contact us]()
2626
2727## **1\. About this Policy**
2828
29This Policy describes how we process your personal data at USA Inc.
29This Privacy Policy describes how we process your personal data at Spotify USA Inc. From now on, we'll call it the 'Policy'.
3030
3131It applies to your use of:
3232
3333- all Spotify streaming services as a user. For example this includes:
3434 - your use of Spotify on any device
35 - the personalization of your user experience - watch [our personalization explainer video](https://www.spotify.com/privacy) to learn more about this
35 - the personalization of your user experience. Watch [our personalization explainer video](https://www.spotify.com/privacy) to learn more about this
3636 - the infrastructure required to provide our services
3737 - connection of your Spotify account with another application
3838 - both our free or paid streaming options (each a '**Service Option**')
39- other Spotify services which include a link to this Privacy Policy. These include Spotify websites, Customer Service and the Community Site
39- other Spotify services which include a link to this Policy. These include Spotify websites, Customer Service and the Community Site
4040
4141From now on, we'll collectively call these the '**Spotify Service**'.
4242
4343From time to time, we may develop new or offer additional services. They'll also be subject to this Policy, unless stated otherwise when we introduce them.
4444
4545**This Policy is _not_...**
4646
4747- the Spotify [Terms of Use](https://www.spotify.com/legal/end-user-agreement/), which is a separate document. The Terms of Use outline the legal contract between you and Spotify for using the Spotify Service. It also describes the rules of Spotify and your user rights
4848- about your use of other Spotify services which have their own privacy policy. Other Spotify services include Anchor, Soundtrap, Megaphone and the Spotify Live app
4949
50We have included further information about rights and disclosures as required under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in our [California Privacy Disclosures](http://spotify.com/us/legal/California-privacy-disclosure) supplement.
51
5250**Other resources and settings**
5351
5452Key information about your personal data is right here in this Policy. However, you might want to take a look at our other privacy resources and controls:
5553
56- [Privacy Center](https://www.spotify.com/privacy/): A user-friendly hub with summaries of key topics and helpful videos. It includes the 'Your Privacy Controls' video which shows you how to exercise your user rights and make choices about the way we process your data (see [Section 2 'Your personal data rights and controls']() for more on user rights).
57- [Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/): Control the processing of certain personal data, including Tailored Ads.
54- [Privacy Center](https://www.spotify.com/privacy/): A user-friendly hub with summaries of key topics and helpful videos. It includes the 'Your Privacy Controls' video which shows you how to exercise your user rights and make choices about the way we process your data. See [Section 2 'Your personal data rights and controls']() for more on user rights.
55- [Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/): Control the processing of certain personal data, including [tailored advertising]().
5856- [Notification Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/notifications/) Set which marketing communications you get from Spotify.
5957- Settings (found in the Desktop and Mobile versions of Spotify): Control certain aspects of the Spotify Service such as 'Social' or 'Explicit Content'. On the 'Social' setting, you can:
6058 - start a Private session
6159 - choose whether to share what you listen to on Spotify with your followers
6260 - choose whether to show your recently played artists on your public profile
6361
6664- [Cookies Policy](https://www.spotify.com/legal/cookies-policy/): Information on how we use cookies and how to manage your cookie preferences. Cookies are files saved on your phone, tablet or computer when you visit a website.
6765
6866[Top of page ↑]()
6967
7068## **2\. Your personal data rights and controls**
7169
72Privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation ('**GDPR**'), give rights to individuals over their personal data.
70Privacy laws give certain rights to individuals over their personal data.
7371
7472Some rights only apply when Spotify uses a certain 'legal basis' to process your data. We explain each legal basis, and when Spotify uses each one, in [Section 4 'Our purpose for using your personal data']().
7573
7674The table below explains:
7775
7876- your rights
7977- circumstances when they apply (such as the legal basis required)
8078- how to use them
8179
8280You can also watch our video about [Your Privacy Controls](https://www.spotify.com/privacy).
8381
82| **It's your right to...** | **How?** |
83| --- | --- |
8484|
85 | It's your right to... | How? |
86| --- | --- | --- |
87| **Be informed** | **Be informed of the personal data we process about you and how we process it.** | We inform you:
88- through this Privacy Policy
85**Be informed**
86
87 |
88
89**Be informed of the personal data we process about you and how we process it.**
90
91 |
92
93We inform you:
94
95- through this Policy
8996- through information provided to you as you use the Spotify Service
9097- by answering your specific questions and requests when you [contact us]()
9198
9299 |
93| **Access** | **Request access to the personal data we process about you.**
94 | To request a copy of your personal data from Spotify, either:
100|
95101
96- visit your account [Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/). There, you can automatically download much of your personal data and find out how to request additional information, or
97- [contact us]() to get all information we hold about you at once, without using the automatic download tool first
102**Know/**
98103
99When you download your data you will receive the information about your data that Spotify has to provide under Article 15 of the GDPR. If you would like more information about how we process your personal data, you can [contact us](). |
100| **Rectification** | **Request that we amend or update your personal data where it's inaccurate or incomplete.** | You can edit your User Data under 'Edit profile' in your account or [by contacting us](). |
101| **Erasure** | **Request that we erase certain of your personal data.**
102For example, you can ask us to erase personal data:
104**Access**
103105
106 |
107
108**Request to know and access the personal data we process about you.**
109
110 |
111
112To request a copy of your personal data from Spotify, either:
113
114- use the "Download your data" tool in your account [Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/), or
115- [contact us]()
116
117When you download your data you will receive the information about your data that Spotify has to provide under applicable laws. If you would like more information about how we process your personal data, you can [contact us]().
118
119 |
120|
121
122**Correction**
123
124 |
125
126**Request that we amend or update your personal data where it's inaccurate or incomplete.**
127
128 |
129
130You can edit your User Data under 'Edit profile' in your account or by [contacting us]().
131
132 |
133|
134
135**Deletion**
136
137 |
138
139**Request that we delete certain of your personal data.**
140
141For example, you can ask us to delete your personal data:
142
104143- that we no longer need for the purpose it was collected for
105144- that we process based on the [legal basis]() of consent, and you withdraw your consent
106145- when you object (see section 'Object' below) and
107146 - you make a justified objection, or
108147 - you object to direct marketing
109148
111150
112151- it's still necessary to process the data for the purpose we collected it for
113152- Spotify's interest in using the data overrides your interest in having it deleted. For example, where we need the data to protect our services from fraud
114153- Spotify has a legal obligation to keep the data, or
115154- Spotify needs the data to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. For example, if there's an unresolved issue relating to your account
116155
117 | There are several ways you can erase personal data from Spotify:
156 |
118157
119- you can remove audio content from your profile by selecting the relevant content and choosing to remove it. For example, you can remove playlists from your profile, or remove a track from your playlist
120- to request erasure of your other personal data from Spotify, follow the steps on our [support page](https://support.spotify.com/article/close-account/). This data includes your User Data, Usage Data and other data listed in [Section 3 'Personal data we collect about you]()'
121- you can also [contact us]() directly to request erasure
158There are several ways you can delete personal data from Spotify:
122159
160- to remove audio content from your profile select the relevant content and choose to remove it. For example, you can remove playlists from your profile, or remove a track from your playlist
161- to request deletion of your other personal data from Spotify (and thus close your account), follow the steps on our [support page](https://support.spotify.com/article/close-account/). This data includes your User Data, Usage Data and other data listed in [Section 3 'Personal data we collect about you]()'
162- you can also [contact us]() to request erasure or reach out to customer support via our [chat bot](https://support.spotify.com/us/contact-spotify-privacy/)
163
123164 |
124| **Restriction** | **Request that we stop processing all or some of your personal data.**
165|
166
167**Right to Limit**
168
169 |
170
171**Under California law, request that we limit the processing of sensitive personal data if we are using or disclosing it for purposes other than those specified in Section 7027(m) of the CCPA Regulations.**
172
173 |
174
175Currently, we are not using or disclosing any sensitive personal data for purposes other than those specified in Section 7027(m) of the CCPA Regulations.
176
177 |
178|
179
180**Restriction**
181
182 |
183
184**Request that we stop processing all or some of your personal data.**
185
125186You can do this if:
126187
127188- your personal data is inaccurate
128189- our processing is unlawful
129190- we do not need your information for a specific purpose, or
130191- you object to our processing and we are assessing your objection request. See section 'Object' below
131192
132You can request that we stop this processing temporarily or permanently. | You can exercise your right to restriction [by]() [contacting us](). |
133| **Object** | **Object to us processing your personal data.**
193You can request that we stop this processing temporarily or permanently.
194
195 |
196
197You can exercise your right to restriction by [contacting us]().
198
199 |
200|
201
202**Object**
203
204 |
205
206**Object to us processing your personal data.**
207
134208You can do this if:
135209
136210- Spotify is processing your personal data on the legal basis of legitimate interests, or
137- Spotify is processing your personal data for direct marketing
211- Spotify is processing your personal data for tailored advertising.
138212
139 | To exercise your right to object:
213 |
140214
141- you can use controls on Spotify Service to switch off or adjust some features which process your personal data. For example, you can switch off 'Tailored Ads' in your [Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/)
142- where Spotify does not provide a control, [contact us]() to object
215To exercise your right to object, you can:
143216
217- use controls on the Spotify Service to switch off or adjust some features which process your personal data. See the end of this section on how you can control tailored advertising
218- [contact us]()
219
144220 |
145| **Data portability** | **Request a copy of your personal data in electronic format and the right to transmit that personal data for use in another party's service.**
146You can request us to transmit your data when we are processing your personal data on the legal basis of consent or performance of contract. However Spotify will try to honour any request to the extent possible. | For information about how to exercise the right to portability, please see 'Access' above. |
147| **Not be subject to automated decision making** | **Not be subject to a decision based solely on automated decision making (decisions without human involvement), including profiling, where the decision would have a legal effect on you or produce a similarly significant effect.** | Spotify does not carry out this type of automated decision making in the Spotify Service. |
148| **Withdrawal of consent** | **Withdraw your consent to us collecting or using your personal data.**
149You can do this if Spotify is processing your personal data on the [legal basis]() of consent. | To withdraw your consent, you can:
221|
150222
223**Data portability**
224
225 |
226
227**Request a copy of your personal data in electronic format and the right to transmit that personal data for use in another party's service.**
228
229You can request us to transmit your data when we are processing your personal data on the legal bases of consent or performance of contract. However Spotify will try to honor any request to the extent possible.
230
231 |
232
233For information about how to exercise the right to portability, see 'Access' above.
234
235 |
236|
237
238**Not be subject to automated decision making**
239
240 |
241
242**Not be subject to a decision based solely on automated decision making (decisions without human involvement), including profiling, where the decision would have a legal effect on you or produce a similarly significant effect.**
243
244 |
245
246Spotify does not carry out this type of automated decision making in the Spotify Service.
247
248 |
249|
250
251**Withdrawal of consent**
252
253 |
254
255**Withdraw your consent to us collecting or using your personal data.**
256
257You can do this if Spotify is processing your personal data on the [legal basis]() of consent.
258
259 |
260
261To withdraw your consent, you can:
262
151263- adjust the relevant control on Spotify
152264- [contact us]()
153265
154266 |
155| **Right to lodge a complaint** | **Contact the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection or your local data protection authority about any questions or concerns.** | You can find the Swedish Authority's details [here](https://www.imy.se/), or go to the website of your local data protection authority. |
156267
268**Requests, generally**
269
270We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights under any privacy law. To verify a consumer request to know, request to delete, and request to correct, we ask you to provide certain details related to your Spotify account. Please note, if you do not have a Spotify account we will not have enough information about you to verify your identity and respond to your requests, as we do not keep sufficient information necessary to re-identify and link you to a prior visit to the Spotify Service where data may have been collected. As such, we will be unable to verify and honor your requests.
271
272**Household requests**
273
274If all the members of a household make an access, correction or deletion request, we will respond as if the requests are individual requests.
275
276**Requests made through agent**s
277
278You may designate, in writing or through a power of attorney (in accordance with local law), an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf to exercise your rights. Before accepting such a request from an agent, we will require the agent to provide proof you have authorized it to act on your behalf, and we may need you to verify your identity directly with us.
279
280**Appeals process**
281
282If your request is denied you may have the right to appeal the denial in accordance with the instructions provided to you when the denial was made.
283
284#### **Tailored advertising controls**
285
286What is tailored advertising?
287
288- This is when we use information about you to tailor ads to be more relevant to you. This is also known as interest based advertising or cross-context behavioral advertising.
289- An example of tailored advertising is when an advertising partner has information suggesting you like cars. This could enable us to show you ads about cars.
290
291How to control tailored advertising:
292
293- You can control tailored advertising in your account [Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/) under 'Tailored Ads'.
294- You can also control tailored advertising for some podcasts using the link in the episode's show description. This applies where the content provider inserts advertising into the podcast to fund it. The hosting provider, which might not be Spotify, manages these controls for the podcast.
295
296If you are 'opted out' of Tailored Ads in your [Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/), you may still get advertising. This can include on our free Service Option, as well as our paid Service Option, as applicable (for example, advertising in podcasts). This type of advertising is based on your registration information and what you are currently listening to on our services. For example, if you are listening to a cooking podcast, you may hear an ad for a food processor.
297
298**Metrics**
299
300The following chart contains statistics about global verifiable requests we received from consumers between 1 January and 31 December 2021:
301
302| **Type of request** | **Received** | **Complied** | **Denied** | **Average response rate** |
303| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
304|
305Right to Know / Access
306
307 |
308
309457,465
310
311 |
312
313457,465
314
315 |
316
3170
318
319 |
320
3214 days
322
323 |
324|
325
326Request to Delete
327
328 |
329
3302,298,607
331
332 |
333
3342,298,607
335
336 |
337
3380
339
340 |
341
34215.5 days
343
344 |
345
157346[Top of page ↑]()
158347
159348## **3\. Personal data we collect about you**
160349
161These tables set out the categories of personal data we collect and use. You can also watch our video about [Personal Data at Spotify](https://www.spotify.com/privacy).
350These tables set out the categories of personal data we collect from you. You can also watch our video about [Personal Data at Spotify](https://www.spotify.com/privacy).
162351
163| Collected when you sign up for the Spotify Service or when you update your account |
352| **Collected when you sign up for the Spotify Service** **or when you update your account** |
164353| --- |
165| **Category** | **Description** |
166| User Data | Personal data that we need to create your Spotify account and that enables you to use the Spotify Service.
354|
355**Categories**
356
357 |
358
359**Categories under CCPA**
360
361 |
362
363**Description**
364
365 |
366|
367
368User Data
369
370 |
371
372Identifiers
373
374 |
375
376Personal data that we need to create your Spotify account and that enables you to use the Spotify Service.
377
167378The type of data collected and used depends on the type of Service Option you have. It also depends on how you create your account, the country you are in, and if you use third party services to sign in. This may include your:
379
168380- profile name
169381- email address
382- password
170383- phone number
171384- date of birth
172385- gender
173386- street address (see further details below)
174387- country
388- university/college (for Spotify Premium Student)
175389
176390We receive some of this data from you e.g. from the sign up form or account page.
177We also collect some of this data from your device e.g. country or region. For more information about how we collect and use this data, see 'Your general (non-precise) location' in the Usage Data category. |
178| Street Address Data | We may ask for and process your street address for the following reasons:
179391
392We also collect some of this data from your device e.g. country or region. For more information about how we collect and use this data, see 'Your general (non-precise) location' in the Usage Data category.
393
394 |
395|
396
397Street Address Data
398
399 |
400
401Identifiers
402
403 |
404
405We may ask for and process your street address for the following reasons:
406
180407- to check eligibility for a Service Option
181408- to deliver notices which are required by law
182409- to deliver support options
183410- for billing and tax administration
184411- to deliver physical goods or gifts which you have requested
185412
186In some cases, we may use a third party application to help you verify your address, such as Google Maps. |
413In some cases, we may use a third party application to help you verify your address, such as Google Maps.
187414
188| Collected through your use of the Spotify Service |
415 |
416
417| **Collected through your use of the Spotify Service** |
189418| --- |
190| **Categories** | **Description** |
191| Usage Data
192 | Personal data collected and processed about you when you're accessing or using the Spotify Service.
419|
420**Categories**
421
422 |
423
424**Categories under CCPA**
425
426 |
427
428**Description**
429
430 |
431|
432
433Usage Data
434
435 |
436
437Internet or other electronic network activity information; and
438
439Inferences
440
441 |
442
443Personal data collected and processed about you when you're accessing or using the Spotify Service.
444
193445There are a few types of information this includes, listed in the following sections.
446
194447**Information about how you use Spotify**
448
195449Examples include:
450
196451- information about your Spotify Service Option
197452- your actions with the Spotify Service (including date and time), such as:
198453 - search queries
199454 - streaming history
200455 - playlists you create
201456 - your library
205460 - your use of third party services, devices and applications in connection with the Spotify Service
206461- inferences (i.e., our understanding) of your interests and preferences based on your usage of the Spotify Service
207462- content you provide when participating in Spotify promotions, such as contests or sweepstakes
208463- content you post to any part of the Spotify Service. For example: images, audio, text, titles, descriptions, communications, and other types of content
209464
210465**Your technical data**
466
211467Examples include:
212468
213469- URL information
214470- online identifiers such as [cookie data](https://www.spotify.com/legal/cookies-policy/) and IP addresses
215471- information about the devices you use such as:
216472 - device IDs
221477 - language
222478 - information enabling digital rights management
223479 - operating system
224480 - Spotify application version
225481- information which enables us to discover and connect with third party devices and applications. Examples of this information are the device name, device identifiers, brand and version. Examples of third party devices and applications are:
226482 - devices on your wifi network (such as speakers) which can connect to the Spotify Service
227 - devices made available by your operating system when connecting via Bluetooth, plugin, and installation
483 - devices your operating system makes available when connecting via Bluetooth, plugin, and installation
228484 - Spotify partner applications to determine whether the application is installed on your device
229485
230486**Your general (non-precise) location**
487
231488Your general location includes country, region or state. We may learn this from technical data (e.g. your IP address, language setting of your device) or payment currency.
489
232490We need this to:
233491
234492- meet geographic requirements in our agreements with the owners of content on the Spotify Service
235493- deliver content and advertising that's relevant to you
236494
237495**Your device sensor data**
238Motion-generated or orientation-generated mobile sensor data (e.g. accelerometer or gyroscope) if needed to provide features of the Spotify Service that require this data. |
239496
240| Additional data you may choose to give us |
497Motion-generated or orientation-generated device sensor data if needed to provide features of the Spotify Service that require this data. This is data which your device collects about the way you move or hold your device.
498
499 |
500
501| **Additional data you may choose to give us** |
241502| --- |
242| **Categories** | **Description** |
243| Voice Data
244 | If voice features are available in your market and where you've chosen to use a voice feature, we collect and process voice data. Voice data means audio recordings of your voice and transcripts of those recordings.
245For more information on how different voice features work, and how you can control and turn them off, see our [Voice Control Policy](https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/voice-controls/).
503|
504**Categories**
505
246506 |
247| Payment and Purchase Data | If you make any purchases from Spotify or sign up for a trial, we will need to process your payment data. This includes if you buy a paid Service Option.
507
508**Categories under CCPA**
509
510 |
511
512**Description**
513
514 |
515|
516
517Voice Data
518
519 |
520
521Internet or other electronic network activity information
522
523 |
524
525If voice features are available in your market and where you've chosen to use a voice feature, we collect and process voice data. Voice data means audio recordings of your voice and transcripts of those recordings.
526
527For more information on how different voice features work, and how you can control and turn them off, see our [Voice Control Policy](https://www.spotify.com/legal/voice-controls/).
528
529 |
530|
531
532Payment and Purchase Data
533
534 |
535
536Commercial information
537
538 |
539
540If you make any purchases from Spotify or sign up for a paid Service Option or a trial, we will need to process your payment data.
541
248542The exact personal data collected and used will vary depending on the payment method. It will include information such as:
543
249544- name
250545- date of birth
251546- payment method type (e.g. credit or debit card)
252- if using a debit or credit card, the card type, expiration date, and certain digits of your card numberNote: For security, we never store your full card number
547- if using a debit or credit card, the card type, expiration date, and certain digits of your card number
548 Note: For security, we never store your full card number
253549- ZIP/postal code
254550- mobile phone number
255551- details of your purchase and payment history
256552
257553 |
258| Survey and Research Data | When you respond to a survey or take part in user research, we collect and use the personal data you provide. |
554|
259555
260| Third party sources that we collect your data from |
556Survey and Research Data
557
558 |
559
560Identifiers; and
561
562other information you share
563
564 |
565
566When you respond to a survey or take part in user research, we collect and use the personal data you provide.
567
568 |
569
570We receive some of the data mentioned above from third parties. The below table describes the categories of those third parties.
571
572| **Third party sources that we receive your data from** |
261573| --- |
262| **Categories of third parties** | **Description** |
263| Authentication partners | If you register for or log into the Spotify Service using another service, we'll receive your information from them to help create your account with us. |
264| Third party applications, services and devices you connect to your Spotify account | If you connect your Spotify account to a third party application, service or devices, we may collect and use certain information from them to make the integration possible.
574|
575**Categories of third parties**
576
577 |
578
579**Description**
580
581 |
582
583**Data categories**
584
585 |
586|
587
588Authentication partners
589
590 |
591
592If you register for or log into the Spotify Service using another service, that service will send your information to us. This information helps create your account with us.
593
594 |
595
596User Data
597
598 |
599|
600
601Third party applications, services and devices you connect to your Spotify account
602
603 |
604
605If you connect your Spotify account to a third party application, service or device, we may collect and use information from them. This collection is to make the integration possible.
606
265607These third party apps, services or devices may include:
608
266609- social media
267610- devices including:
268611 - audio (e.g. speakers and headphones)
269612 - smart watches
270613 - televisions
271614 - mobile phones and tablets
272615 - automotive (e.g. cars)
273616 - games consoles
274- services or platforms such as voice assistants
617- services or platforms such as voice assistants or content platforms
275618
276We'll ask your permission before we collect your information from certain third parties. |
277| Technical service partners | We work with technical service partners that give us certain data. This includes mapping IP addresses to non-precise location data (e.g., country or region, city, state).
278This makes it possible for Spotify to provide the Spotify Service, content, and features. |
279| Payment partners and Merchants | If you choose to pay through third parties (e.g. telco carriers) or by invoice, we may get data from our payment partners.
619We'll ask your permission before we collect your information from certain third parties.
620
621 |
622
623User Data
624
625Usage Data
626
627 |
628|
629
630Technical service partners
631
632 |
633
634We work with technical service partners that give us certain data. This includes mapping IP addresses to non-precise location data (e.g., country or region, city, state).
635
636This makes it possible for Spotify to provide the Spotify Service, content, and features.
637
638We also work with security service providers who help us protect user accounts.
639
640 |
641
642User Data
643
644Usage Data
645
646 |
647|
648
649Payment partners and Merchants
650
651 |
652
653If you choose to pay through third parties (e.g. telco carriers) or by invoice, we may get data from our payment partners.
654
280655This allows us to:
281656
282657- send you invoices
283658- process your payment
284659- give you what you've purchased
285660
286661If we direct you to a merchant, we receive data from the merchant that is related to your purchase. For example, we might direct you to an artist's merchandise store on a third party platform or to a third party ticketing website.
662
287663Receiving this data allows us to:
288664
289665- calculate any commissions owed to us
290666- analyze the effectiveness of our partnership with these merchant partners
291667- understand your interests
292668
293669 |
294| Advertising and marketing partners | From certain advertising or marketing partners, we receive inferences (i.e., their understanding) of your interests and preferences.
295This allows us to deliver more relevant ads and marketing. |
296670
671Payment and Purchase Data
672
673 |
674|
675
676Advertising and marketing partners
677
678 |
679
680We receive inferences from certain advertising or marketing partners. These inferences are the partners' understanding of your interests and preferences.
681
682This allows us to deliver more relevant ads and marketing.
683
684 |
685
686Usage Data
687
688 |
689|
690
691Acquired companies
692
693 |
694
695We may receive data about you from companies we acquire. This is to enhance our services, products, and offerings.
696
697 |
698
699User Data
700
701Usage Data
702
703 |
704
297705If you download the Spotify mobile app and try Spotify using a logged out user experience, we will collect limited information about your usage of the Spotify Service, including Usage Data. We do this to understand how you are accessing and using the Service. We also do this to ensure we provide the right experience for you, for example based on your country or region. If you decide to create a Spotify account to experience our service in full, then we will combine this data with your Spotify account data.
298706
299707[Top of page ↑]()
300708
301709## **4\. Our purpose for using your personal data**
302710
314722 - comply with obligations under a contract with you. This includes Spotify's obligations under the Terms of Use to provide the Spotify Service to you, or
315723 - verify information before a new contract with you begins.
316724- **Legitimate Interest:** When Spotify or a third party has an interest in using your personal data in a certain way, which is necessary and justified considering any possible risks to you and other Spotify users. For example, using your Usage Data to improve the Spotify Service for all users. [Contact us]() if you want to understand a specific justification.
317725- **Consent:** When Spotify asks you to actively indicate your agreement to Spotify's use of your personal data for a certain purpose.
318726- **Compliance with Legal Obligations:** When Spotify must process your personal data to comply with a law.
319727
320| Purpose for processing your data | Legal basis that permits the purpose | Categories of personal data used for the purpose |
728| **Purpose for processing your data** | **Legal basis that permits the purpose** | **Categories of personal data used for the purpose** |
321729| --- | --- | --- |
322| To provide the Spotify Service (as defined in [Section 1 'About this Policy']().) |
323- Performance of a Contract
324- Legitimate Interest
325- Consent
730|
731To provide the Spotify Service in accordance with our contract with you. See [Section 1 'About this Policy']() for what we mean by the Spotify Service.
326732
733For example, when we use your personal data to:
734
735- set up an account for you
736- personalize your account, or
737- provide the Spotify app when you download it onto your device
738
327739 |
328740
741Performance of a Contract
742
743 |
744
329745- User Data
330746- Street Address Data
331747- Usage Data
332748- Voice Data
333749- Payment and Purchase Data
334750
335751 |
336| To understand, diagnose, troubleshoot, and fix issues with the Spotify Service. |
752|
337753
338- Performance of a Contract
754To provide further parts of the Spotify Service.
339755
756For example, when we use your personal data to enable you to share a link to Spotify content with someone else.
757
340758 |
341759
760Legitimate Interest
761
762Our legitimate interests here include:
763
764- keeping the Spotify Service running and functional
765- allowing users to access and use the Spotify Service
766
767 |
768
342769- User Data
770- Street Address Data
343771- Usage Data
772- Voice Data
773- Payment and Purchase Data
344774
345775 |
346| To evaluate and develop new features, technologies, and improvements to the Spotify Service. |
776|
347777
348- Legitimate Interest
778To provide certain additional voluntary features of the Spotify Service. When this is the case, we will clearly ask for your consent.
349779
350780 |
351781
782Consent
783
784 |
785
352786- User Data
353787- Usage Data
788- Survey and Research Data
789- Payment and Purchase Data
790
791 |
792|
793
794To understand, diagnose, troubleshoot, and fix issues with the Spotify Service.
795
796For example, we use your personal data to:
797
798- respond to your messages when you contact customer services
799- spot unusual data or behavior in our logs which might indicate a bug or other issue, or
800- check and verify accounts to find and prevent unauthorized users
801
802 |
803
804Performance of a Contract
805
806 |
807
808- User Data
809- Usage Data
810
811 |
812|
813
814To evaluate and develop new features, technologies, and improvements to the Spotify Service.
815
816For example:
817
818- we use personal data to develop and improve our personalized recommendation algorithms
819- we analyze how our users react to a particular new feature and see whether we should make any changes
820
821 |
822
823Legitimate Interest
824
825Our legitimate interests here include developing and improving products and features for our users.
826
827 |
828
829- User Data
830- Usage Data
354831- Voice Data
832- Survey and Research Data
355833
356834 |
357| For marketing or advertising where the law requires us to collect your consent.
358For example, when we use cookies to understand your interests or the law requires consent for email marketing. |
835|
359836
360- Consent
837For marketing or advertising where the law requires us to collect your consent.
361838
839For example, when we use cookies to understand your interests or the law requires consent for email marketing.
840
362841 |
363842
843Consent
844
845 |
846
364847- User Data
365848- Usage Data
366849- Survey and Research Data
367850
368851 |
369| For other marketing, promotion and advertising purposes where the law does not require consent.
370For example, when we use your personal data to tailor advertising to your interests. |
852|
371853
372- Legitimate Interest
854For other marketing, promotion and advertising purposes where the law does not require consent.
373855
856For example, when we use your personal data to tailor advertising to your interests.
857
374858 |
375859
860Legitimate Interest
861
862Our legitimate interests here include using advertising to fund the Spotify Service, so that we can offer much of it for free.
863
864 |
865
376866- User Data
377867- Usage Data
378868- Survey and Research Data
379869
380870 |
381| To comply with a legal obligation that we are subject to.
871|
872
873To comply with a legal obligation that we are subject to.
874
382875This might be:
383876
384877- an obligation under the law of the country / region you are in
385878- Swedish law (because of our headquarters in Sweden), or
386879- EU law that applies to us
387880
881For example, when we use your date of birth when required for age verification purposes.
882
388883 |
389884
390- Compliance with legal obligations
885Compliance with legal obligations
391886
392887 |
393888
394889- User Data
395890- Street Address Data
396891- Usage Data
397892- Voice Data
398893- Payment and Purchase Data
399894- Survey and Research Data
400895
401896 |
402| To comply with a request from law enforcement.
403This will only apply when a competent law enforcement authority contacts us. These include the police, the courts or prisons. |
897|
404898
405- Compliance with legal obligations
406- Legitimate interest
899To comply with a request from law enforcement, courts, or other competent authorities.
407900
408901 |
409902
903Compliance with legal obligations, and legitimate interest
904
905Our legitimate interests here include assisting law enforcement authorities to prevent or detect serious crime.
906
907 |
908
410909- User Data
411910- Street Address Data
412911- Usage Data
413912- Voice Data
414913- Payment and Purchase Data
415914- Survey and Research Data
416915
417916 |
418| To fulfill contractual obligations with third parties. For example, our agreements with owners of content on the Spotify Service. |
917|
419918
420- Legitimate interest
919To fulfill contractual obligations with third parties.
421920
921For example, when we provide pseudonymized data about our users' listening because we have an agreement with a Spotify rightsholder to do so.
922
923Pseudonymized data means that your data is identified by a code rather than your name or other directly identifying information.
924
422925 |
423926
927Legitimate Interest
928
929Our legitimate interests here include:
930
931- maintaining our relationships with artists so that we can provide the Spotify Service
932- maintaining our relationships with other third parties for the same reason
933
934 |
935
424936- User Data
425937- Usage Data
426938- Voice Data
427939- Payment and Purchase Data
428940
429941 |
430| To take appropriate action with reports of intellectual property infringement and inappropriate content. |
942|
431943
432- Legitimate interest
944To take appropriate action with reports of intellectual property infringement and inappropriate content.
433945
434946 |
435947
948Legitimate Interest
949
950Our legitimate interests here include protecting intellectual property and original content.
951
952 |
953
436954- User Data
437955- Usage Data
438956- Voice Data
439957- Payment and Purchase Data
440958
441959 |
442| To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. |
960|
443961
444- Legitimate interest
962To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
445963
964For example, if we are involved in litigation and we need to provide information to our lawyers in relation to that legal case.
965
446966 |
447967
968Legitimate Interest
969
970Our legitimate interests here include:
971
972- seeking legal advice
973- protecting ourselves, our users or others in legal proceedings
974
975 |
976
448977- User Data
449978- Street Address Data
450979- Usage Data
451980- Voice Data
452981- Payment and Purchase Data
453982- Survey and Research Data
454983
455984 |
456| To conduct business planning, reporting, and forecasting. |
985|
457986
458- Legitimate Interest
987To conduct business planning, reporting, and forecasting.
459988
989For example, when we look at aggregated user data like the number of new sign ups in a country in order to plan new locations to launch our products and features in.
990
460991 |
461992
993Legitimate Interest
994
995Our legitimate interests here include researching and planning so that we can keep running our business successfully.
996
997 |
998
462999- User Data
4631000- Usage Data
4641001- Payment and Purchase Data
4651002
4661003 |
467| To process your payment. |
1004|
4681005
469- Performance of a Contract
1006To process your payment.
4701007
1008For example, when we use your personal data to let you purchase a Spotify subscription.
1009
4711010 |
4721011
1012Performance of a Contract, and consent
1013
1014 |
1015
4731016- User Data
4741017- Payment and Purchase Data
1018- Street Address Data
4751019
4761020 |
477| To detect and prevent fraud. For example, fraudulent payments and fraudulent use of the Spotify Service. |
1021|
4781022
479- Legitimate Interest
1023To detect and prevent fraud.
4801024
1025For example, when we analyze Usage Data to check for fraudulent use of the Spotify Service.
1026
4811027 |
4821028
1029Legitimate Interest
1030
1031Our legitimate interests here include protecting the Spotify Service and our users against fraud and other illegal activity.
1032
1033 |
1034
4831035- User Data
4841036- Street Address Data
4851037- Usage Data
4861038- Payment and Purchase Data
4871039
4881040 |
489| To conduct research and surveys. |
1041|
4901042
491- Legitimate Interest
1043To conduct research and surveys.
4921044
1045For example, when we contact our users to ask for your feedback.
1046
4931047 |
4941048
1049Legitimate Interest
1050
1051Our legitimate interests here include to understand more about how users think about and use the Spotify Service.
1052
1053 |
1054
4951055- User Data
4961056- Usage Data
4971057- Voice Data
4981058- Survey and Research Data
4991059
5001060 |
5011061
5021062[Top of page ↑]()
5031063
5041064## **5\. Sharing your personal data**
5051065
506This section sets out the categories of recipients of the personal data collected or generated through your use of the Spotify Service.
1066This section sets out who receives personal data which is collected or generated through your use of the Spotify Service.
5071067
5081068**Publicly available information**
5091069
510The following personal data will always be publicly available on the Spotify Service:
1070The following personal data will always be publicly available on the Spotify Service (except to any user you have blocked):
5111071
5121072- your profile name
5131073- your profile photo
5141074- your public playlists
5151075- other content you post on the Spotify Service, and any associated titles, descriptions and images
5161076- who you follow on the Spotify Service
517- who follows you on the Spotify Service (you can block followers)
1077- who follows you on the Spotify Service
5181078
5191079You or another user can share certain information on third party services, like social media or messaging platforms. This includes:
5201080
5211081- your profile
5221082- any content you post on Spotify and details about that content
5231083- your public playlists
5241084
5251085When this sharing occurs, the third party service may store a copy of it to support their features.
5261086
5271087**Personal data you may choose to share**
5281088
529We will only share the following personal data with those outlined in the table below:
1089We will only share the following personal data with those outlined in the table below
5301090
531- where we need to share personal data for the use of a Spotify Service feature, or a third party application, service or device, which you have chosen to use, or
1091- where you have chosen to use a Spotify Service feature, or a third party application, service or device, and we need to share personal data to enable this, or
5321092- if you otherwise grant us your permission to share the personal data. For example, you can do it by selecting the appropriate setting in the Spotify Service or by giving your consent
5331093
534| Categories of recipients | Categories of data you can choose to share | Reason for sharing |
1094| **Categories of recipients** | **Categories of data you can choose to share** | **Reason for sharing** |
5351095| --- | --- | --- |
536| Third party applications, services and devices you connect to your Spotify Account |
1096|
1097Third party applications, services and devices you connect to your Spotify account
1098
1099 |
1100
5371101- User Data
5381102- Usage Data
5391103
540 | To connect your Spotify account, or allow you to use the Spotify Service in connection with third party applications, services or devices.
1104 |
1105
1106To connect your Spotify account, or so that you can use the Spotify Service in connection with third party applications, services or devices.
1107
5411108Examples of such third party applications, services and devices include:
5421109
5431110- social media applications
5441111- speaker devices
5451112- televisions
5461113- automotive platforms
5471114- voice assistants
5481115
549You can see and remove many third party connections under 'Apps' in your account. |
550| Support community |
1116You can see and remove many third party connections under '[Apps](https://www.spotify.com/account/apps/)' in your account.
5511117
1118 |
1119|
1120
1121Support community
1122
1123 |
1124
5521125- User Data
5531126
554 | To enable you to use the [Spotify Support Community service](https://community.spotify.com/).
555When you register for an account on the Spotify Support Community, we'll ask you to create a profile name. This will be publicly displayed to anyone who uses the Spotify Support Community. We'll also display any questions or comments you post. |
556| Other Spotify users |
1127 |
5571128
1129To enable you to use the [Spotify Support Community service](https://community.spotify.com/).
1130
1131When you register for an account on the Spotify Support Community, we'll ask you to create a profile name. This will be publicly displayed to anyone who uses the Spotify Support Community. We'll also display any questions or comments you post.
1132
1133 |
1134|
1135
1136Other Spotify users
1137
1138 |
1139
5581140- User Data
5591141- Usage Data
5601142- Voice Data
5611143
562 | To share information about your use of the Spotify Service with other Spotify users. These could include your followers on Spotify.
563For example, under 'Social' settings you can choose to share your recently played artists and your playlists on your profile. You can also choose to create or join a shared playlist with other users. Shared playlists give you social recommendations based on your listening activity. |
564| Artists and record labels |
1144 |
5651145
1146To share information about your use of the Spotify Service with other Spotify users. These could include your followers on Spotify.
1147
1148For example, under 'Social' settings you can choose to share your recently played artists and your playlists on your profile. You can also choose to create or join a shared playlist with other users. Shared playlists give you social recommendations based on your listening activity.
1149
1150 |
1151|
1152
1153Artists and record labels
1154
1155 |
1156
5661157- User Data
5671158
568 | To receive news or promotional offers from artists, record labels or other partners.
569You may choose to share your User Data for this purpose. You'll always have the option to change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time. |
1159 |
5701160
1161To receive news or promotional offers from artists, record labels or other partners.
1162
1163You may choose to share your User Data for this purpose. You'll always have the option to change your mind and [withdraw your consent at any time](https://www.spotify.com/account/profile/).
1164
1165 |
1166
5711167**Information we may share**
5721168
5731169See this table for details of who we share to and why.
5741170
575| Categories of recipients | Categories of data | Reason for sharing |
1171| **Categories of recipients** | **Categories of data** | **Reason for sharing** |
5761172| --- | --- | --- |
577| Service providers |
1173|
1174Service providers
1175
1176 |
1177
5781178- User Data
5791179- Street Address Data
5801180- Usage Data
5811181- Voice Data
5821182- Payment and Purchase Data
5831183- Survey and Research Data
5841184
585 | So they can provide their services to Spotify.
1185 |
1186
1187So they can provide their services to Spotify.
1188
5861189These service providers include those we hire to:
5871190
5881191- give customer support
5891192- operate the technical infrastructure we need to provide the Spotify Service
5901193- assist in protecting and securing our systems and services (e.g. Google's reCAPTCHA)
5911194- help market Spotify's (and our partners') products, services, events and promotions
1195- verify your eligibility for certain types of Service Options (e.g., Spotify Premium Student)
5921196
5931197 |
594| Payment partners |
1198|
5951199
1200Payment partners
1201
1202 |
1203
5961204- User Data
5971205- Payment and Purchase Data
5981206
599 | So they can process your payments, and for anti-fraud purposes. |
600| Advertising partners |
1207 |
6011208
1209So they can process your payments, and for anti-fraud purposes.
1210
1211 |
1212|
1213
1214Advertising partners
1215
1216 |
1217
6021218- User Data
6031219- Usage Data
6041220
605 | So they can help us deliver more relevant advertising to you on the Spotify Service, and help measure the effectiveness of ads.
606For example, our ad partners help us facilitate tailored advertising.
1221 |
6071222
608**What is tailored advertising?**
1223So they can help us deliver more relevant advertising to you on the Spotify Service, and help measure the effectiveness of ads.
6091224
610- This is when we use third party information to tailor ads to be more relevant to you. This is also known as interest based advertising.
611- An example of a tailored ad is when an ad partner has information suggesting you like cars. This could enable us to show you ads about cars.
1225For example, our ad partners help us facilitate tailored advertising.
6121226
613**How to control tailored advertising:**
1227With respect to Spotify Service users under the age of 16, we do not share personal data to advertising partners by default.
6141228
615- You can control tailored advertising in your [account Privacy Settings](https://www.spotify.com/account/privacy/) under 'Tailored Ads'.
616- You can also control tailored advertising for some podcasts using the link in the episode's show description. This applies where the content provider is funding their podcast by inserting either tailored advertising or content-based advertising into the podcast itself. These controls are managed by the hosting platform for the podcast, which might not be Spotify.
1229 |
1230|
6171231
618If you are 'opted out' of Tailored Ads in your Privacy Settings, you may still get advertising on ad-supported services (e.g. podcasts or the Free Service Option). Such advertising is based on your registration information and the content you are currently streaming on our services. For example, if you are listening to a cooking podcast, you may hear an ad for a food processor. |
619| Marketing Partners |
1232Marketing Partners
6201233
1234 |
1235
6211236- User Data
6221237- Usage Data
6231238
624 | To promote Spotify with our partners. We share certain User Data and Usage Data with these partners where necessary to:
1239 |
6251240
1241To promote Spotify with our partners. We share certain User Data and Usage Data with these partners where necessary to:
1242
6261243- enable you to participate in Spotify promotions, including trials or other bundled offers
6271244- to promote Spotify in media and advertising published on other online services
6281245- help us and our partners to measure the effectiveness of Spotify promotions
6291246
6301247Examples of partners include:
6311248
6321249- marketing or sponsorship partners
6331250- websites and mobile apps who sell us advertising space on their services
6341251- device, app and mobile partners who also offer Spotify promotions
6351252
636Our partners may also combine the personal data we share with them with other data they collect about you, e.g. your use of their services. We and our partners may use this information to present you with offers, promotions, or other marketing activities that we believe will be relevant to you. |
637| Hosting Platforms |
1253Our partners may also combine the personal data we share with them with other data they collect about you, e.g. your use of their services. We and our partners may use this information to present you with offers, promotions, or other marketing that we think you'll find relevant.
6381254
639- Usage Data
1255With respect to Spotify Service users under the age of 16, we do not share personal data to marketing partners by default.
6401256
641 | Hosting platforms host podcasts so that they can deliver them to you. We share certain data, such as your IP address, with the hosting platforms when you play a podcast. Spotify owns two hosting platforms, Megaphone and Anchor. We also allow you to stream podcasts available from other hosting platforms not owned by Spotify.
1257 |
1258|
6421259
643Podcast providers should explain in the show or episode description which platform is hosting the podcast. Please see the hosting platform's own privacy policy for how they use data shared with them.
1260Ticketing and event partners
6441261
6451262 |
646| Other partner sharing |
6471263
6481264- User Data
649- Usage Data
650- Survey and Research Data
6511265
652 | To help us understand and improve the performance of our products and partnerships.
653You can see and remove many partner connections under 'Apps' in your account. |
654| Academic researchers |
1266 |
6551267
656- User Data
1268For every event for which we sell tickets, we will need to share your name, email or other order details to our event partners such as ticketing agent or venue box office where the event is taking place so that you can check-in as a verifiable guest who purchased tickets through Spotify's ticketing platform.
1269
1270 |
1271|
1272
1273Hosting Platforms
1274
1275 |
1276
6571277- Usage Data
6581278
659 | For activities such as statistical analysis and academic study, but only in a pseudonymised format. Pseudonymised data is where your data is identified by a code rather than your name or other information that directly identifies you. |
660| Spotify Measurement Companies |
1279 |
6611280
1281Hosting platforms host podcasts so that they can deliver them to you. We share certain data, such as your IP address, with the hosting platforms when you play a podcast. We also allow you to stream podcasts available from other hosting platforms not owned by Spotify.
1282
1283Podcast providers should explain in the show or episode description which platform is hosting the podcast. See the hosting platform's own privacy policy for how they use data shared with them.
1284
1285 |
1286|
1287
1288Academic researchers
1289
1290 |
1291
6621292- User Data
6631293- Usage Data
6641294
665 | We share data with the following Spotify companies to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns that run on the Spotify Service:
1295 |
6661296
667- In Defense of Growth Incorporated d/b/a Podsights
668- Chartable Holding, Inc.
1297For activities such as statistical analysis and academic study, but only in a pseudonymized format.
6691298
6701299 |
671| Other Spotify group companies |
1300|
6721301
1302Other Spotify group companies, including companies that Spotify acquires
1303
1304 |
1305
6731306- User Data
6741307- Street Address Data
6751308- Usage Data
6761309- Voice Data
6771310- Payment and Purchase Data
6781311- Survey and Research Data
6791312
680 | To carry out our daily business operations and so we can maintain and provide the Spotify Service to you.
6811313 |
682| Law enforcement and other authorities |
6831314
1315To carry out our daily business operations and so we can maintain, improve and provide the Spotify Service and acquired companies' services to you.
1316
1317For example:
1318
1319- enabling our employees who work for different group companies to develop and improve features for the Spotify Service
1320- sharing data with our measurement companies to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns that run on the Spotify Service
1321- sharing data with our podcast companies to better understand user listening trends
1322
1323 |
1324|
1325
1326Law enforcement and other authorities, or other parties to litigation
1327
1328 |
1329
6841330- User Data
6851331- Usage Data
6861332
687 | When we believe in good faith it's necessary for us to do so, for example:
1333 |
6881334
1335When we believe in good faith it's necessary for us to do so, for example:
1336
6891337- to comply with a legal obligation
6901338- to respond to a valid legal process (such as a search warrant, court order, or subpoena)
6911339- for our own or a third party's justifiable interest, relating to:
6921340 - national security
6931341 - law enforcement
6941342 - litigation (a court case)
6951343 - criminal investigation
6961344 - protecting someone's safety
6971345 - preventing death or imminent bodily harm
6981346
6991347 |
700| Purchasers of our business |
1348|
7011349
1350Purchasers of our business
1351
1352 |
1353
7021354- User Data
7031355- Street Address Data
7041356- Usage Data
7051357- Voice Data
7061358- Payment and Purchase Data
7071359- Survey and Research Data
7081360
709 | If we were to sell or negotiate to sell our business to a buyer or possible buyer.
710In this case, we may transfer your personal data to a successor or affiliate as part of that transaction. |
1361 |
7111362
1363If we were to sell or negotiate to sell our business to a buyer or possible buyer.
1364
1365In this case, we may transfer your personal data to a successor or affiliate as part of that transaction.
1366
1367 |
1368
7121369[Top of page ↑]()
7131370
7141371## **6\. Data retention**
7151372
7161373We keep your personal data only as long as necessary to provide you with the Spotify Service and for Spotify's legitimate and essential business purposes, such as:
7171374
7181375- maintaining the performance of the Spotify Service
7191376- making data-driven business decisions about new features and offerings
7201377- complying with our legal obligations
7211378- resolving disputes
7221379
1380Here are some of the categories of our retention periods:
1381
1382- **Data retained until you remove it**
1383
1384It's your right to request that we delete certain of your personal data. See the section on 'Deletion' in [Section 2 'Your personal data rights and controls']() for more information.
1385
1386- **Data that expires after a specific period of time**
1387
1388We have set certain retention periods so that some data expires after a specific period of time.
1389
1390- **Data retained until your Spotify account is deleted**
1391
1392We keep some data until your Spotify account is deleted. When your Spotify account is deleted, your data is deleted or anonymized.
1393
1394- **Data retained for extended time periods for limited purposes**
1395
1396After your account is deleted, we keep some data for a longer time period but for very limited purposes.
1397
7231398Criteria used to determine the retention periods include:
7241399
725- **How can we minimize the data retention period?** Our systems are designed to age out personal data in 90 days, unless another period is selected for legitimate business reasons.
726- **Do we need to keep data to ensure the service that users expect?** We keep personal data for an appropriate period to deliver a personalized service to our users over time. We typically keep streaming history for the life of an account, for example, to provide retrospective playlists that users enjoy (e.g. Your Summer Rewind and the end-of-year Wrapped campaign) and personalized recommendations based on current listening habits.
727- **Are users able to update or delete the data themselves?** Where users are able to see and update the personal data themselves, we keep the information for as long as the user chooses. For example, we keep your Spotify email address and other profile information until you choose to change or delete it yourself.
728- **Do we need to keep the data to uphold our rules and keep our service safe?** To help ensure user safety, protect against harmful content on our platform, and take action with reports of intellectual property infringement, we may keep data that has been removed from the Spotify Service for a limited period of time. This helps us investigate potential breaches of our [User Guidelines](https://www.spotify.com/legal/user-guidelines/) and [Platform Rules](https://www.spotify.com/platform-rules/).
1400- **What is the appropriate retention period to carry out our purpose?** Our systems are designed to automatically 'age out' data based on a defined retention period. We choose the retention period based on its legitimate business purpose.
1401- **Do we need to keep data to ensure the service that users expect?** We keep personal data for an appropriate period to deliver a personalized service to our users over time. We typically keep streaming history for the life of an account, for example, to provide retrospective playlists that users enjoy and personalized recommendations that take listening habits into account. For example, Your Summer Rewind and the end-of-year Wrapped campaign.
1402- **Are users able to update or delete the data themselves?** Where users are able to see and update the personal data themselves, we keep the information for as long as the user chooses.
1403- **Do we need to keep the data to uphold our rules and keep our service safe?** We may keep data that has been removed from the Spotify Service for a limited period of time. This is:
1404 - to help ensure user safety
1405 - to protect against harmful content on our platform
1406 - to take action with reports of intellectual property infringement
1407
1408This also helps us investigate potential breaches of our [User Guidelines](https://www.spotify.com/legal/user-guidelines/) and [Platform Rules](https://www.spotify.com/platform-rules/).
1409
7291410- **Is Spotify subject to a legal or contractual obligation to keep or delete the data?** Examples include mandatory data retention laws, government orders to preserve data relevant to an investigation or data kept for the purposes of litigation. Conversely, we will remove unlawful content if the law requires us to do so.
7301411
7311412[Top of page ↑]()
7321413
7331414## **7\. Transfer to other countries**
7341415
7351416Because of the global nature of our business, Spotify shares personal data internationally with Spotify group companies, subcontractors and partners when carrying out the activities described in this Policy. They may process your data in countries whose data protection laws are not considered to be as strong as EU laws or the laws which apply where you live. For example, they may not give you the same rights over your data.
7361417
7371418Whenever we transfer personal data internationally, we use tools to:
7381419
7391420- make sure the data transfer complies with applicable law
740- help to give your data the same level of protection as it has in the EU and the laws which apply where you live
1421- help to give your data the same level of protection as it has in the EU
7411422
1423To ensure each data transfer complies with applicable EU legislation, we use the following legal mechanisms:
1424
1425- [Standard Contractual Clauses](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/) ('**SCCs**'). These clauses require the other party to protect your data and to provide you with EU-level rights and protections. For example, we use SCCs to transfer the personal data described in [Section 3 'Personal data we collect about you']() to our hosting provider which uses servers in the US. You can exercise your rights under the Standard Contractual Clauses by [contacting us]() or the third party who processes your personal data.
1426- [Adequacy Decisions](https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection/adequacy-decisions_en). This means that we transfer personal data to countries outside of the European Economic Area which have adequate laws to protect personal data, as determined by the European Commission. For example, we transfer the personal data described in [Section 3 'Personal data we collect about you']() to vendors based in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea and Switzerland.
1427
1428We also identify and use additional protections as appropriate for each data transfer. For example, we use:
1429
1430- technical protections, such as encryption and pseudonymization
1431- policies and processes to challenge disproportionate or unlawful government authority requests
1432
7421433[Top of page ↑]()
7431434
7441435## **8\. Keeping your personal data safe**
7451436
7461437We're committed to protecting our users' personal data. We put in place appropriate technical and organizational measures to help protect the security of your personal data. However, be aware that no system is ever completely secure.
7471438
748We have implemented various safeguards to guard against unauthorised access and unnecessary retention of personal data in our systems. These include pseudonymisation, encryption, access, and retention policies.
1439We have put various safeguards in place to guard against unauthorized access and unnecessary retention of personal data in our systems. These include pseudonymization, encryption, access, and retention policies.
7491440
7501441To protect your user account, we encourage you to:
7511442
7521443- use a strong password which you only use for your Spotify account
7531444- never share your password with anyone
7541445- limit access to your computer and browser
7551446- log out once you have finished using the Spotify Service on a shared device
7561447- read more detail on [protecting your account](https://support.spotify.com/article/protect-your-account/)
7571448
7581449You can log out of Spotify in multiple places at once by using the 'Sign out everywhere' function on [your account page](http://www.spotify.com/account).
7591450
760If other individuals have access to your Spotify account (for example if you've given them permission to use your account on a shared device), then they can access personal data, controls and the Spotify Service available in your account.
1451If other individuals have access to your Spotify account, then they can access personal data, controls and the Spotify Service available in your account. For example, you might have allowed someone to use your account on a shared device.
7611452
762It's your responsibility to only provide individuals with permission to use your account where you're comfortable sharing this personal data with them. Anyone else's use of your Spotify account may impact your personalised recommendations and be included in your data download.
1453It's your responsibility to only allow individuals to use your account where you're comfortable sharing this personal data with them. Anyone else's use of your Spotify account may impact your personalized recommendations and be included in your data download.
7631454
7641455[Top of page ↑]()
7651456
7661457## **9\. Children**
7671458
7681459Note: This Policy doesn't apply to Spotify Kids unless the [Spotify Kids Privacy Policy](https://www.spotify.com/legal/kids-privacy-policy/) says so. Spotify Kids is a separate Spotify application.
7691460
7701461The Spotify Service has a minimum 'Age Limit' in each country or region. The Spotify Service is not directed to children whose age:
7711462
772- is under the age of 13 years, or
1463- is under the age of 13 years
7731464- makes it illegal to process their personal data, or
7741465- requires parental consent to process their personal data
7751466
776We do not knowingly collect or use personal data from children under the applicable Age Limit. If you're under the Age Limit, please do not use the Spotify Service, and do not provide any personal data to us. Instead, we recommend using a [Spotify Kids](http://www.spotify.com/kids) account.
1467We do not knowingly collect or use personal data from children under the applicable Age Limit. If you're under the Age Limit, do not use the Spotify Service, and do not provide any personal data to us. Instead, we recommend using a [Spotify Kids](http://www.spotify.com/kids) account.
7771468
778If you're a parent of a child under the Age Limit and become aware that your child has provided personal data to Spotify, please [contact us]().
1469If you're a parent of a child under the Age Limit and become aware that your child has provided personal data to Spotify, [contact us]().
7791470
7801471If we learn that we've collected the personal data of a child under the applicable Age Limit, we'll take reasonable steps to delete the personal data. This may require us to delete the Spotify account for that child.
7811472
782When using a shared device on the main Spotify Service, you should be cautious about playing or recommending any content to individuals under 18 years old which could be inappropriate for them.
1473When using a shared device on the main Spotify Service, be cautious about playing or recommending any inappropriate content to individuals under 18 years old.
7831474
7841475[Top of page ↑]()
7851476
7861477## **10\. Changes to this Policy**
7871478
7881479We may occasionally make changes to this Policy.
7891480
7901481When we make material changes to this Policy, we'll provide you with prominent notice as appropriate under the circumstances. For example, we may display a prominent notice within the Spotify Service or send you an email or device notification.
7911482
7921483[Top of page ↑]()
7931484
794## [**11\. How to contact us**]()
1485## **11\. How to contact us**
7951486
7961487For any questions or concerns about this Policy, contact our Data Protection Officer any one of these ways:
7971488
7981489- email [privacy@spotify.com](mailto:privacy@spotify.com)
7991490- write to us at: Spotify USA Inc., 150 Greenwich Street, Floor 62, New York, NY 10007, USA
8001491
1492Spotify USA Inc. is the data controller of personal data processed under this Policy.
1493
8011494© Spotify USA Inc.
8021495
8031496[Top of page ↑]()