Unsuitable adult material surfacing in Spotify's search outcomes: A response from the company on the matter.
Hey there!
Bewear folks, Spotify's recent blunder has left users questioning the platform's content moderation. A Reddit user posted a screenshot showing a pornographic video sneakily appearing among the suggested results for none other than the music sensation M.I.A. This flabbergasting discovery has raised valid concerns about the inappropriate content making its way onto the popular streaming service.
The cat's out of the bag, and it turns out one of the culprits behind the XXX videos has been posting adult content for years but only recently started sharing full-fledged adult videos. Another account with a puzzling alphanumeric name has been uploading explicit videos under the podcast category since mid-November. The question is—how did these videos, apparently unchecked, make it onto Spotify?
Now, some might say, "Sex, lies, and algorithms," as these racy videos seemed to go unnoticed by Spotify's moderation team. But fear not, according to a representative from Spotify, Laura Batey, the offending videos have been given the boot for violating Spotify's policies, which despise sexually explicit material. However, Batey was mute on the details of how these videos manage to bypass Spotify's moderation process.
The nasty videos uncovered were likely inappropriate podcast uploads. too bad, Spotify's reporting system isn't the user-friendly type—it lacks an easy-to-use flag for highlighting inappropriate content. Instead, users need to manually copy the content URL and report it via a separate webpage.
It's not the first time Spotify has been caught with its pants down when it comes to adult content. Other Reddit users have shared similar tales of finding explicit videos in search results and even finding erotic audio tracks in their Discovery Weekly playlists. A 2022 Vice article even unearthed sexually explicit audio and graphic nudity in user-made playlist cover art.
Spotify's policies claim to ban adult content, but the recent discovery of explicit material managing to slither through raises questions about the need for stronger moderation to maintain the platform's safety and appropriateness for all users.
Oh, and since you're still with me, have a look at these interesting reads:- Spotify's learning ambitions? Check it out- Spotify's new Song Psychic? Whoa, I'll fill you in.- Spotify puts the squeeze on free listeners in India, here's the scoop
Stay tuned!
That's Ayushi Jain, your friendly tech news writer who geeks out on tech and BGMI. Join me on this exciting journey of tech and gaming!
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Mashing tech and gaming to keep you in the loop!
Despite the ongoing concerns about content moderation on Spotify, the popular streaming service remains a go-to platform for music, smartphone entertainment, and social-media integration. Users, however, often express frustration about the complex reporting system, which lacks an intuitive flag for inappropriate content.
On the flip side, Spotify continues to innovate in various tech-related sectors, like learning ambitions and song prediction features. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting advancements!
