Spotify · Spotify Privacy Policy

Children and Managed Accounts

High severity
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What it is

Spotify collects data about younger users and requires parental consent for Managed Accounts; tailored advertising is off by default for younger users but automatically activates when they reach a certain age.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

If you have a younger family member using Spotify under a Managed Account, their data is collected and tailored advertising will be automatically turned on when they reach the applicable age threshold, with only an in-app notification as disclosure.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Opt Out of Arbitration
    If managing a family or student account, visit spotify.com/account/privacy and verify that 'Tailored Ads' is disabled for younger account holders; monitor for the in-app notification that advertising has been automatically activated.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Children and Managed Accounts and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

The automatic activation of tailored advertising upon reaching a threshold age — communicated only via an in-app message — may not constitute adequate parental or user consent under COPPA and state minor privacy laws.

View original clause language
Age Check Data is the data you provide if you (i) choose to use a feature that is subject to an Age Check or (ii) are a parent or legal guardian providing parental consent for a Managed Account ('Age Check'). All Age Check Data is deleted immediately after the Age Check. Younger users may have tailored advertising turned off by default. When you reach the appropriate age, you will start to receive tailored advertising. When this happens, you will receive a message within the Spotify Service to let you know.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: COPPA (15 U.S.C. §6501 et seq., 16 C.F.R. Part 312) requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The FTC is the primary enforcement authority. California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (CAADCA, AB 2273) imposes additional obligations for services likely to be accessed by minors under 18, including privacy by default and data minimization. Several other states have enacted or are enacting similar minor privacy legislation (Texas, Florida, etc.). (2)

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC enforces COPPA against platforms that collect data from or serve advertising to children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    California AG and other State AGs enforce the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act and analogous minor privacy statutes against platforms serving younger users.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Spotify Privacy Policy
Entity
Spotify
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 28, 2026
Last verified
April 28, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003900
Document ID
CA-D-00036
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
62bfd0910e1d9815b6915626d36d1058b28aa407638be86ce562523eaf99f811
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Spotify | Document: Spotify Privacy Policy | Record: CA-P-003900
Captured: 2026-04-28 08:47:36 UTC | SHA-256: 62bfd0910e1d9815…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/spotify/spotify-privacy-policy/children-and-managed-accounts/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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