We’ve rolled out a few small changes to our terms and conditions today, and we know that can sometimes cause confusion (we know, because we’ve done it ourselves). So we want to be super clear about what is changing today (not that much) and what isn’t changing at all – starting with the terms of our privacy policy.
That’s right – the terms of our privacy policy are not changing. The only change in the privacy policy is that in countries outside the United States, we are consolidating all of our agreements under our parent company, Spotify AB, based in Sweden where Spotify was started. Our commitment to the privacy of our users is very important to us and we aren’t changing anything at all with regard to how we use the information you choose to share with us. For an overview of our privacy policy, look here.
Here is a snapshot of the key updates to the terms:
- Third party subscriptions – Sometimes users purchase Spotify Premium from a third party service like a telephone company. We have updated the language in our terms to make it clear that users who purchase Spotify though third parties are also subject to the terms of those companies. For example, if you bought your Spotify subscription through Telia in Sweden, you are subject to Telia’s terms and conditions as well as Spotify’s.
- Arbitration rules for non-US users – We have clarified that, if you don’t live in the US, any arbitration between you and Spotify will be guided by the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). These are standard rules widely used around the world.
- Company that provides your service outside the US – At the end of the terms and conditions and privacy policy, the name and address of the Spotify company that provides your service (and which is the legal entity responsible for your data) is listed. In the past, this was often a local Spotify company; in Belgium, for example, it was Spotify Belgium. This company will now be Spotify AB everywhere but the US, in order to better reflect the reality of our business operations. Keep in mind, that as a practical matter, it’s still the same “Spotify” – we just have had multiple operating entities and we’re now bringing our operations under one organizational structure. (And if you were wondering, this is all about internal operational efficiencies and is not motivated by tax considerations; this will not have any impact on our obligation to pay taxes in local markets as required under local tax rules.)
These are the only significant changes we are making to our terms and conditions. We hope this makes it clear that our commitment to your privacy – and to how we keep your information secure – is absolutely unchanged. We’ll be rolling this out on a market by market basis. If you ever have any questions or concerns, then please let us know at privacy@spotify.com.
