Spotify will soon suspend or terminate listeners using ad blockers

Spotify is seeing its ad-supported revenue growing, and it wants to keep it that way. The company has updated its user guidelines with new language to prevent ad blockers, as well as bots and what it broadly calls “fradulent streaming activities.”

Listeners who do use ad blockers will see their accounts immediately suspended or terminated. According to the new guidelines, “circumventing or blocking advertisements in the Spotify Service, or creating and distributing tools designed to block advertisements in the Spotify Service” is grounds for immediate action against an account. The new terms of service take effect on March 1.

During Spotify’s prep for its direct listing, the company disclosed that 2 million users on its ad-supported tier were using ad blockers. It was a large enough share that the service had to restate its usage metrics.

Anna Washenko