[Privacy] Private Session should stay active

[jakenfinn]

Let's face it. We've all used Spotify to listen to music that we would be embarassed to advertise publically.

Whether it's kittens meowing Christmas songs, that your friends would never let you live down, or a hardcore rap album, that you wouldn't want your 8 year old cousin to go and listen to because his cool aunt or uncle likes it.

When it comes to this social music app, privacy is not a convenient bonus feature, it's a critical necessity.

Currently, the only way to listen to songs privately on Spotify, is to go to the settings and activate a private session. This is not only annoying, since I constantly have to navigate through settings to activate privacy on my phone, it's stressful because you have to worry about whether or not certain people can see what you're listening too. My primary music app should not cause anxiety about what I share publically.

From a 2011 blog post "Spotify is all about sharing and discovering new music. It’s entirely up to you what you decide to share and what you keep private."

With the first part in mind, it makes sense that spotify would default to making all of the music you listen to public to your followers but the second part is not true. Anyone can follow me on Spotify and if I have to continuously activate a private session, there will inevitably be times when I forget. As a paying customer, I should have the ability to hide what I listen to if I please and activate privacy indefinitely.

[searchl]

Today my friend messages me "nice song" for the song I am embarrassed to share. Only then do I realize the private session I have set will not last indefinitely.

Spotify, just for you know, there is people out there (like me) who just want to listen music by themselves and who doesn't want to share to others. Status update of “don’t have plans” sounds disrespectful to this group of people.

Please consider this feature with serious thought, or we will be the ones considering alternative music source with serious thought.

Thanks a lot.

[mjdindc]

I really want to ensure all listening in spotify is private.  what is the best way to do this?

[JohnLockNKey]

It can’t be done. After an amount of time decided by Spotify they will automatically publish all of your listening habits even if you are a paying premium customer. Spotify decides when you have had enough privacy and when your entire listening history needs to be made public without notifying you in any way.

[Woolbox]

I am for some reason not allowed to vote this up(?!), so I sincerely hope you're not just considering the number of votes.

Your arrogange on this issue is astonishing and disgusting! Like you have to consider it?! Your customers want this to be optional, not f'ing mandatory. Just make it happen!

Consider this my 1+ vote.

[JohnLockNKey]

I’m having a hard time understanding the purpose of this forum. Now that you have taken away people’s ability to upvote this active thread, it shows that you do monitor and read these paying customers concerns. You read their concerns and immediately taken action in response by limiting the methods with which customers can express these concerns. You take away their ability to vote on it after establishing a vote based system in the provided “help yourself” center. These customers are asking for the very basic in privacy control and you respond by removing their ability seek support. Why do you hate and punish your paying customers so much?

[user_anonymous]

Dear Spotify,

@meahtenoha,

after this long time and no reply, you should really tackle this issue.

If not, then at least in Europe it could get interesting when in May the new law for a better protection of personal data (GDPR) will not only be effective but also enforced. One requirement for appliances and software is the "privacy by default" rule which - in my understanding - is violated by Spotify's lax privacy settings.

A possible fix would probably be more than easy to implement. Also see: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Social-New-Profile-Feature-Privacy/idi-p/1660215

Please Spotify, be responsible and fix this!

All the best!

[Ceebee80]

How is it that Spotify has this so wrong. I love Spotify, but this alone is enough to make me start looking for alternatives. I too am tired of constantly checking to make sure my session is set to private. Please Spotify do the intuitively obvious thing and make private sessions, whether on or off, stay the way a user has set it indefinitely.

[x6060x]

Making a new switch for "Private session per default" shouldn't be that hard to implement, but will make the Spotify service much nicer - I preffer to be always in a private session.

[donmac1]

I agree... with all that is going on with privacy lately PLEASE make this opt in not opt out.  I pay for Spotify - it shouldn't be something we have to toggle every single time. I actually came on here thinking surely I am just missing something and it's available now and I am shocked that it's not. Not cool. 

[donmac1]

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