Spotify · Spotify Terms and Conditions

Device Resource Grant to Business Partners

High severity
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What it is

By using Spotify, you agree that Spotify and its business partners can use your device's processor, storage, and internet bandwidth — not just for playing music, but for delivering advertising.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Spotify users grant unnamed business partners the right to use their device's computing resources and bandwidth for advertising, which may affect device performance, data usage costs, and raises privacy concerns about the scope of third-party access to user devices.

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.
  • Close Your Account
    If you do not wish to allow Spotify or its business partners to use your device resources, you may close your account through Spotify Customer Support. There is no opt-out from this provision short of ceasing use of the service.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Device Resource Grant to Business Partners and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

This clause goes beyond standard service operation and permits unnamed third-party business partners to access and use your device resources for their own advertising purposes, without specifying which partners or what limits apply.

View original clause language
You also grant to us the right (1) to allow the Spotify Service to use the processor, bandwidth, and storage hardware on your Device in order to facilitate the operation of the Spotify Service, and (2) to provide advertising and other information to you, and (3) to allow our business partners to do the same.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) (consent as lawful basis for processing that goes beyond contract necessity), Art. 7 (conditions for consent), and Art. 28 (processor agreements for third-party partners accessing user device data). It also engages the ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC) Art. 5(3) regarding access to terminal equipment, CCPA §1798.100 (right to know about third-party data sharing), the FTC Act Section 5, and potentially the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. §1030) depending on the scope of device access. The FTC and EU data protection authorities are primary enforcement authorities. (2)

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority under Section 5 to investigate undisclosed third-party access to consumer device resources as an unfair or deceptive trade practice.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Spotify Terms and Conditions
Entity
Spotify
Document last updated
April 16, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 28, 2026
Last verified
April 28, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003890
Document ID
CA-D-00035
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
3de03c5fd4aaa8832a8ab1321f72529c38f425203399aceb3cdbc160b330c3b1
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Spotify | Document: Spotify Terms and Conditions | Record: CA-P-003890
Captured: 2026-04-28 08:42:14 UTC | SHA-256: 3de03c5fd4aaa883…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/spotify/spotify-terms-and-conditions/device-resource-grant-to-business-partners/
Accessed: April 28, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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