Some Spotify users have encountered a troubling issue and stumbled upon explicit videos appearing in search results and recommendations. This issue came to light when a Reddit user named Milk_Steak_Jabroni shared a screenshot on the platform showing a porn video of adult actress Mia Khalifa in a search suggestion for the rapper M.I.A. Here's the link to the NSFW post. Reportedly, while the specific video wasn't available on Spotify upon investigation, other porn videos were found under Spotify's "Video" tab.
Spotify has come forward and responded to the reports. Laura Batey, a representative from the platform, confirmed that the content "has been removed due to violation of our policies." As far as Spotify's policies are concerned, the platform prohibits sexually explicit material but doesn't explain how such content bypassed its moderation system.
This isn't the first time Spotify's moderation system has come under scrutiny. According to reports, there is an account that is known for posting erotic audio for years and has recently started uploading sexually explicit videos. Another account, with an alphanumeric name, has been sharing the same NSFW content disguised as podcasts since mid-November on Spotify. It appears that such content gets a green flag and appears on the platform because of flaws in Spotify's moderation system as well as a lack of a straightforward in-app reporting feature.
Unlike other platforms, to report an issue, Spotify users have to manually copy the content's URL and report violations through an external web page. This makes the whole process of reporting cumbersome, which may deter users from reporting inappropriate content on the platform, leaving problematic content unaddressed. In the past, other Reddit users have also reported examples of explicit videos in search results and even erotic audio tracks being suggested by Spotify's "Discover Weekly" algorithmic playlist, raising concerns about Spotfiy's ability to keep the platform clean.
Source: The Verge
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