Artists Petition Spotify to Guarantee Abstention from Employing Their Speech-Analyzing Patent Technology
Here's a fresh take:
Spotify's latest innovation has raised some eyebrows—a patent for tech that can supposedly predict your music tastes based on your emotions, gender, age, or accent. A coalition of over 180 artists and human rights groups have penned a letter urging Spotify to ditch this technology, calling it a secrecy-laden, manipulative, and discriminatory tool. Notable artists like Talib Kweli, Eve 6, and Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine have added their signatures.
The letter directly targets Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, demanding a public pledge to never use, license, sell, or monetize this technology. It argues that this technology is emotionally manipulative, discriminatory against trans and non-binary individuals, an invasion of privacy, and a breach of data security. "Music should be made for human connection, not to please a corporate algorithm", the letter asserts.
Isedua Oribhabor, U.S. policy analyst for Access Now, a digital rights group leading the coalition's efforts, shared her thoughts in a ** statement**: "An always-on listening device that discerns our emotions, gender, age, or any other characteristic is a privacy invasion waiting to happen. The millions of Spotify users deserve respect and privacy, not covert manipulation and monitoring."
This isn't the first time Spotify has been asked to abandon this technology. Access Now sent its first letter in April, demanding a public commitment and details on data protection. Spotify responded on April 15, confirming that the technology, though patented, had never been implemented and had no plans for implementation.
In their letter, Spotify explained that many tech companies patent innovations that may never materialize in a final product. According to their official response, "any products Spotify develops will comply with applicable law and our commitment to conducting business in a socially responsible manner."
However, this response does not seem to have quelled the coalition's concerns. The coalition's letter concludes by reiterating that any use of such technology is unacceptable, and that Spotify could profit from the technology even if it were deployed by another entity. Spotify has yet to respond to Gizmodo's request for comment on the matter.
The coalition has set a deadline of May 18 for Spotify's response. While a public commitment to abandon proprietary patents for the greater good may not be typical of major corporations, stranger things have happened. Fingers crossed for a change of heart!
- The future of technology is under question as Spotify's patent for a technology that can predict music tastes based on personal attributes is met with backlash.
- The coalition demanding Spotify to abandon this technology argues that it is a privacy invasion, emotionally manipulative, and discriminatory against trans and non-binary individuals.
- Isedua Oribhabor, a policy analyst for Access Now, stated that an always-on listening device that discerns personal characteristics is a privacy invasion waiting to happen.
- Despite Spotify's assurance that the technology has not been implemented and has no plans for implementation, the coalition remains concerned about the potential use and profiting from such technology.
