Spotify to Suspend or Terminate Accounts that Use Ad Blockers

Spotify updated its user guidelines to take a tougher approach against listeners who use ad blockers. TechCrunch reported that the new guidelines said that those using ad blockers will be immediately suspended from the service or have their account terminated. In an email to users, the company said that “all types of ad blockers, bots and fraudulent streaming activities are not permitted.”  The new guidelines will come into force on March 1st, 2019.

Ad blockers have long been a headache for Spotify. The company disclosed in March 2018 while preparing for its initial public offering that it discovered two million users, or about 1.3 percent of its total user base at the time, had been using ad blockers on the free version of Spotify, enough to force it to restate usage metrics.

Check It Out: Spotify to Suspend or Terminate Accounts that Use Ad Blockers

4 thoughts on “Spotify to Suspend or Terminate Accounts that Use Ad Blockers

    1. Exactly. I use ad blockers on my devices and Mac IN RESPONSE to sites that made it necessary. Now this decision by Spotify won’t impact me, I tried Spotify for one afternoon and didn’t care for it. But I think it’s the wrong response on their part. Simply, don’t be a jerk and we won’t need to block.

      1. One of the best examples is over on CultofMac. They often will have an article with a video embedded in it. Nine times out of ten there will be a google ad sitting directly in front of the video. I move from my work computer PC to my own device and go to the same article. After first stepping through the “We see you are using an ad blocker. We depend on advertising for revenue…” page. There the video plays cleanly.

        They can whine all they want, but, what do they expect me to do.

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