New Delhi, December 30: Leading music streaming platform Spotify found itself in a controversy when some users saw sexually-explicit material in search results on the platform. According to a report in The Verge on Monday, a Reddit user posted a screenshot of a Spotify search that had “a pornographic video tucked into suggested results for the rapper M.I.A”. A Spotify spokesperson told The Verge that such content "has been removed due to violation of its policies". According to the music streaming platform’s content moderation policies, it removes content that contains sexually explicit material. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G Price Drops Ahead of Launch of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 5G in January 2025; Check Discounts, Offers and Other Benefits Here. Recent posts on Reddit have shown examples of “unexpected explicit video in search results” on Spotify and “even erotic audio tracks being suggested in one user’s Discovery Weekly algorithmic playlist”. A Vice story in 2022 had claimed that there was “a surprising amount of people who’ve tried to upload hardcore sex images on Spotify”. According to reports, the app has a setting to block explicit content playback in users’ profiles, but even with it turned on, these searches evade that filter. Spotify’s terms of use forbid ”pornography or visual depictions of genitalia or nudity presented for the purpose of sexual gratification.” The music streaming platform was launched in 2008. Today, more listeners than ever can discover, manage and enjoy over 100 million tracks, 6 million podcasts titles, and 350,000 audiobooks a la carte on Spotify. “We are the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service with more than 640 million users, including 252 million subscribers in more than 180 markets,” according to the company. Google CEO Sundar Pichai Prepares Employees for 2025, Tells Them Company Will Focus on ‘Gemini’ AI Model Amid Regulatory Challenges, Fierce Competition: Report. Spotify’s global premium subscriber base grew to just over 252 million paying users for the third quarter of 2024 (ended September 30). The total global monthly active users (MAUs) grew 11 per cent on-year to 640 million in Q3 2024. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2024 10:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com ).
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Three crypto industry groups — the DeFi Education Fund, the Blockchain Association, and the Texas Blockchain Council — are suing the Internal Revenue Service to block new regulations that require decentralized finance (DeFi) entities to report customer information. The IRS has been finalizing crypto tax regulations as part of the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The IRS says these new rules should help “close the information gap with respect to digital assets.” The lawsuit , on the other hand, claims that this approach would unduly burden “DeFi trading front-ends,” — basically, online platforms that allow users to access crypto protocols but don’t necessarily “effectuate transactions” themselves. The suit argues against defining these front-ends as brokers, in part because “there is simply no broker-like entity involved in a decentralized transaction.” The Blockchain Association’s head of legal Marisa Coppel said in a statement that the new rules are “an infringement on the privacy rights of individuals using decentralized technology” and would also “push this entire, burgeoning technology offshore.”Prominent candidates who won and lost in Jharkhand elections
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VPS is a world-leading, innovative service provider with a proven, trusted reputation of working to the highest accredited standards. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. As the world changes, we work relentlessly to ensure your business remains on the right side of that change. Our value-added testing and advisory services actively support and protect our customers, people, their assets and the environment. To further our commitment to excellence and advance our client-oriented goals, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Laino to the role of Managing Director – Americas. In this role, Steve will apply his experience and knowledge to deliver complete value-chain solutions for fuel, lubricants and decarbonization in this important region. Steve joins us having held c-suite and leadership roles as a ship owner, broker, entrepreneur and advisor across multiple sectors and markets in the global supply chain. Most recently, Steve has applied his subject matter expertise and in-depth understanding of the emerging emissions and alternative fuels sectors in his role as Global Head of Environmental Solutions with Poten & Partners/BGC. He has a strong background in shipping, having graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, sailed as an officer in the US Merchant Marine and served as Lieutenant Commander in the US Naval Reserve. Dr. Malcolm Cooper, VPS CEO, stated: “The maritime industry is changing fast with ambitious emissions targets and decarbonisation requirements driving the introduction of new technologies and fuels into the market. In this dynamic landscape, we are very pleased to have Steve on board to lead delivery of all VPS services to customers in the Americas and help them optimise their operations by understanding which new fuels to use and how to adapt to these sustainable business drivers and meet new regulations.” Steve Laino Steve Laino stated: “Industries around the world are witnessing a paradigm shift in the energy products that power them and the environmental regulations that govern their stakeholders’ compliance. An increased need for transparency and traceability of energy sources and production methods will grow to be a primary driver of successful business strategies. Testing, verification, certification, data-supported analysis and the ability to easily access and disseminate critical information from these sources are quickly becoming required tools of the trade. For decades, VPS has reliably provided and evolved their services to the maritime, power generation and wind sectors. In response to the evolution of energy products and the impact on businesses in and adjacent to the supply chain, VPS has invested in new digital platforms, testing capabilities and advisory capacity to meet the challenges faced by its customers. I am very pleased to join VPS to lead and grow their business in the Americas. I look forward to working closely with our team to gather and provide valuable decision-making information to our clients, yielding the flexibility and foresight needed to navigate the new commercial, operational and technical challenges before us.” Source: Veritas Petroleum ServicesStocks dive after Fed cuts rates, signals slower easing pace in 2025JAAF partners with GTEX to drive textile innovation and competitiveness in Sri Lanka