As a parent, it’s important that you do your due diligence when it comes to protecting your children from accessing inappropriate content online. Unfortunately, most parents don’t even consider the possibility of their kids accessing porn through streaming services like Spotify. When I first heard about this my initial thought was “No way!” But this is a real problem that requires attention. I even experimented with it myself and found the concerns I’ve heard from parents to be legit. Folks…if you have kids AND they have access to Spotify, you need to pay attention. Let’s explore how this can happen and what you can do to prevent it.
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How Does It Happen?
What many parents may not know is that you can access multiple forms of content through Spotify. On their own website, Spotify says users can “watch music videos, documentaries, and exclusive video series, all from within the Spotify app.” Most parents who have heard of Spotify are unaware that Spotify is essentially a full-service video platform as well. It turns out that some users have discovered a way to access explicit images and videos through Spotify playlists.
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For example, one user created an explicit playlist called “Pornhub Awards 2020” which contained links to pornographic websites as well as explicit images and videos. The user also added links to other playlists with similar content, which can easily be accessed by anyone who happens across the original playlist.
But…finding some of these playlists don’t always require an explicit query, sometimes they’re more subtle. For example, a seemingly innocent search for “music video” in an account (that kids had access to) returned some semi-suggestable content. However, when I searched for “audio amateur videos 2022”, I was hit with many results that were explicit in nature. Those screenshots are below (they are not suitable for all audiences either).
We also stumbled across a very informed Instagram post via ProtectYoungEyes.com that laid out some other ways kids are finding loopholes to porn through Spotify. One mom said that by simply typing two commas in the search bar returned a bunch of mature playlists and titles. They even go onto explain that you can’t block them and they show up even if you have the “Explicit Content” option toggled off.
Here’s What Parents Are Saying About Spotify And Porn
I have to be honest, this whole issue of finding explicit content on Spotify through non-explicit means really shocked me when I first heard about it. Apparently, Spotify does have some serious issues with its content filtering and search features. What I stumbled upon was not unique to my experience. It wasn’t like some AI algorithm was feeding me personalized results. Spotify just isn’t that sophisticated (no offense to their dev team). All you have to do is visit CommonSenseMedia and look at the user reviews for Spotify to see just how big of a problem this is becoming.
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One parent says, “No way to report explicit content. If you are an adult it is great. Not so great for kids especially curious teenage boys. It has an explicit content filter but there is so much content on there that has not been flagged explicit.”
A Worried_Mom commented that Spotify has “Easily accessible pornographic podcasts. This is an awesome music streaming app! But be warned – kids can access PORNOGRAPHY in the form of SEXUALLY explicit podcasts.” There are dozens more reviews like these from parents.
And therein lies the problem. Spotify is a fantastic tool for streaming music and podcasts. And as we’ve seen with other tools with good intentions, there are bad players out there ready to exploit the technology so they can exploit users.
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Protecting Your Kids From Accessing Porn Through Spotify
So What can you do? We’ve talked about this before. One of the best things to do is to have meaningful conversations with your kids about the choices they make online and with technology. Kids are curious by nature and many times their intent, when they do stumble upon explicit content, is innocent in nature. Conversations are key. But with Spotify specifically, the first thing you should do is ensure that all devices in your home are password protected and that only adults have access to them, at least those devices where explicit content can be accessed.
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It is also important to make sure your kids understand the importance of not sharing their passwords with anyone else and only using their devices for appropriate activities. Additionally, make sure you are aware of all the streaming services your kids are using and monitor their activity on those services regularly. There are a ton of programs and software that will help you monitor your kids’ activity online. I personally recommend MMGuardian. Finally, educate yourself about parental controls offered by streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, etc., so that you can take advantage of them if needed.
As A Parent, It’s On You To Know
It is important for parents to be aware of the possibility of their kids accessing inappropriate content online, including through streaming services like Spotify. And take steps to protect them from doing so. By setting up passwords on all devices in your home and monitoring your kid’s activity on streaming services, you can help ensure that they are not exposed to unwanted content like pornography via these platforms. With a little bit of effort on your part, you can keep your kids safe online and help prevent access to content and ideas they should never be exposed to.
