Spotify · Spotify Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Tailored Advertising by Default

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Document Record

What it is

Spotify uses your listening behavior and data from advertising partners to show you targeted ads by default. You have to actively go into your account settings to turn this off.

This analysis describes what Spotify's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The clause establishes the operational basis for cross-context behavioral advertising, defining how user activity data is aggregated and applied for ad targeting purposes. It also specifies the mechanisms by which users may exercise control over this data practice.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
3
Months Monitored
Apr 9, 2026
First Seen
Apr 10, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 1153 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Your listening history and data provided by third-party advertising partners is used to serve you personalized ads unless you navigate to your Account Privacy page and opt out under 'Tailored Ads'.

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
    Log in to your Spotify account, go to spotify.com/account/privacy, and toggle off 'Tailored Ads' under the Tailored Advertising section. If not logged in, click 'Your Privacy Choices' in the footer of the Spotify website.

How other platforms handle this

Skillshare Medium

We may share your information with third-party vendors and service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, customer service, and marketing assistance. We may also share your information with third-party advertising p...

Adobe Medium

Sending you information about Adobe products and services, special offers and similar information, and sharing your information with third parties for their own marketing purposes, where your consent is not required; In some cases, in order to show you more relevant ads, we disclose with social medi...

Notion Medium

We may share your personal information with third-party vendors and service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, customer service, and marketing assistance. We may also share your personal information with busines...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
This is when we use information about your use of our services and other websites and mobile apps to tailor ads to be more relevant to you. This is also known as interest based advertising, targeted advertising, or 'sharing' for purposes of cross-context behavioural advertising. An example of tailored advertising is when an advertising partner provides us with information indicating that you may be interested in cars. This could enable us to show you ads about cars. You can control tailored advertising on your Account Privacy page under 'Tailored Ads'. If you do not have an account or are not logged in, you can also opt-out by clicking the 'Your Privacy Choices' link at the footer of our website.

— Excerpt from Spotify's Spotify Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates CPRA §1798.120 (right to opt out of sale/sharing of personal information), CCPA §1798.100, and the FTC Act Section 5 (15 U.S.C. §45) regarding unfair or deceptive practices. Cross-context behavioral advertising constitutes 'sharing' under CPRA, enforced by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and California AG. Virginia VCDPA §59.1-578, Colorado CPA §6-1-1306, and Connecticut CTDPA §42-520 also provide opt-out rights for targeted advertising. The FTC has enforcement authority over deceptive opt-out mechanisms. 2)

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has enforcement authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act over unfair or deceptive advertising practices and data sharing for targeted advertising purposes.
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    State Attorneys General in California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Texas have enforcement authority over targeted advertising opt-out rights under their respective state privacy laws.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
COPPA
United States Federal
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US
VPPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Spotify Privacy Policy
Entity
Spotify
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 6, 2026
Last verified
April 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002607
Document ID
CA-D-00036
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
20e7378325f90f73de8e5f0d9b2d1ec4523f9cf07b406b492edd5753b96f24ad
Analysis generated
March 6, 2026 20:27 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Spotify
Document: Spotify Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-002607
Captured: 2026-03-06 20:27:52 UTC
SHA-256: 20e7378325f90f73…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/spotify/spotify-privacy-policy/tailored-advertising-by-default/
Accessed: June 16, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Spotify's Tailored Advertising by Default clause do?

The clause establishes the operational basis for cross-context behavioral advertising, defining how user activity data is aggregated and applied for ad targeting purposes. It also specifies the mechanisms by which users may exercise control over this data practice.

How does this clause affect you?

Your listening history and data provided by third-party advertising partners is used to serve you personalized ads unless you navigate to your Account Privacy page and opt out under 'Tailored Ads'.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Spotify?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Spotify.