Nielsen Analytics opt-out

[soylentbrown]

How do I opt-out of 'Nielsen’s audience measurement software'?. I don't see the option in the app settings. The only option I see is 'Private Session', but I only want to opt out of the analytics platform and not Last.Fm etc.

Attachment: Screenshot about information about the 'audience management software' on the Google Playstore

[raoden]

Any update on this?

[user-removed]

Personally I don't care if I am sending listening data to Nielsen. However, the option to 'opt-out' should be more clearly stated in settings. Also wondering if this is taken care of by the Do Not Share setting. 

[Ozzy0608]

There is no way to opt out of this. Why is it so difficult to even serch this topic on your own forums or selfhelp/faq portion of your website. You should just be able to serch opt out or Nielsen’s and be directed to the requested information. It seems absurd to me that I had to Google search "spotify Nielsen’s opt out" to be lead here, and yet after all this frustrating searching I still haven't been able to opt out of what has now turned into a forceful collection of data, statistics, and who know what else given the elusiveness of this opt out option. This needs to be address. There should be a privacy settings tab in the app itself where users can easily opt out.

[raoden]

Worst of all, Spotify just ignores the issue. I contacted their support about this two weeks ago and haven't received any reply as of yet. See also this other thread.

[kubster]

Possible solution here: This link adds a cookie telling Nielsen not to track you. If you go to it on your phone, maybe it'll work? Not sure. http://www.nielsen.com/content/corporate/policy/en/cookie-policy.html

[Bobdaman6969]

I do not use Social Media, however if I had social media accounts (like many readers of this forum do) I would be constantly harassing Spotify on Facebook and Twitter on their main accounts with this issue. If enough people discredit Spotify publicly they might take action to solve the issue. Hopefully everyone who reads this can take a minute or two to write a simple complaint.

[epicnameguy]

I too wish to opt-out and see no way to do so, which seems to be a false advertisement on the Play Store as such.

I'll be reachout out to Spotify support and posting my findings on various social media.

[MikeBro]

Hi Folks,

Glad I found some (too few) people raising this issue.
I had the same problem: trying to opt-out from the Nielsen tracker by going to my settings, as suggested by spotify (On their app description!!). Nothing. I could not find how. So I contacted customer service. 
We exchanged 6 mails. 3 were mine, first asking to direct me towards the opt-out setting, and later asking for them to actually opt me out. The 3 responses were identical, around the lines of "there is nothing we can do, you need to contact Nielsen directly". To sum up: that opt-out button in the setting section is IMAGINARY. IT DOES NOT EXIST AT ALL. So Spotify is giving misleading information about privacy stating that you have an option, and that they have integrated that in the app but THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE!!!
And, the customer service did not find the courtosy to take care of that issue. They asked me to contact Nielsen directly, which frankly I dodn't really want to do, because 1) I have no idea who Nielsen is and for WHAT REASON THEY ENTERED MY LIFE, 2) I do not want to waste my time, and 3) I am actually paying for spotify so I would rather have a service that I can rely on.

I forgave the development issues, cause I like the service and I know the struggles, but being so lazy on privacy issues is actually VERY BAD.
I am very disappointed, and I hope someone from the spotify gang will take my concerns seriously.

Gasp.

Mike.

[Rhod-au]

Just lending my support to this. There is clearly a legal process to enforce consumer rights the company is exposing itself to. I'd rather waste time on that than be stalled and deflected by customer service. There's a great show on TV in Australia called The Checkout that has real influence. Time to call them. It's only fair.

[Rhod-au]

Just lending my support to this. There is clearly a process to enforce consumer rights the company is exposing itself to. I'd rather waste time on that than be stalled and deflected by customer service. There's a great show on TV in Australia called The Checkout that has real influence. Time to call them. It's only fair.

[EyeingSpotify]

Just lending my support to this.

Spotify needs to make the option available as stated on their app.

Stinks of unethical behavior to not do so.

It is bad for them to be dishonest in their customer service replies (or lack there of).  State what you offer and what you don't and pretend to hide behind a lack of responses.

[Blep82]

Cancelled my subscription. False advertisement on Google play saying in app settings easy opt out. Unethical behavior. No thanks I'll take my money elsewhere.

[kalipeeni]

---

Please note: This app features Nielsen’s audience measurement software which will allow you to contribute to market research, such as Nielsen’s Audio Measurement. If you don't want to participate, you can opt-out within the app settings. To learn more about our digital audience measurement products and your choices in regard to them, please visit http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy for more information.

And taken from Nielsen's website:

In the mobile app environment, we require each application that contains active Nielsen measurement software to disclose that Nielsen measurement is included in that app, and provide access to a Nielsen opt out.

As there isn't an option to opt-out, spotify is breaching the contract, and also being dishonest towards the users. This has to be addressed right now!

[MikeBro]

That's exactly what I'm saying... But how?

[LucesEnElMar]

So, basically, Spotify is shamelessly stating a lie on Google Play and hoping we don't realize we're being fooled.
I'm not so upset at the fact that Nielsen is taking statistics from me (this is Internet, guys, a lot of big companies are only interested in user information) but that Spotify is simply lying to us.

[user-removed]

I have bad news for everyone.

Spotify formed a partnership with WPP which is one of the largest private spy companies on the planet..  WPP is heavily funded by the CIA. Therefore we can surmise the CIA is also enjoying access to Spotify Data which likely includes very personal data from your cell phone.

WPP and Spotify Forge an Alliance.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/289111/wpp-spotify-forge-global-partnership.html

WPP funded by CIA.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wpp-agency-takes-funding-from-cia-investment-unit/

I cancelled my membership and uninstalled Spotify after I discovered all of this and they don't provide any method for true privacy with it.

[mrjlturner]

I just found an item under Account Settings | Apps | called 'Lithium.com' which I had not authorized, and which appears to be some social marketing company. I revoked access. Not sure if it is related to the hidden Nielsen stuff or not...but FWIW it is probably worth revoking access to.