Spotify searches return explicit videos after moderation systems fail to spot them

2 min readUpdated May 30, 2025Dec 30, 20249:14 AM

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Spotify has a moderation problem on its hands at the moment. Searching for popular artists on the music streaming platform instead sometimes returns explicit videos and audio posted by unmoderated accounts. The situation recently came to light when users started reporting the problem on social media and The Verge reached out to Spotify for comment.

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to Spotify. However, previous instances usually consisted of explicit audio clips. Accounts posting those clips have apparently grown more brazen in recent months and have started posting videos instead. The ‘Video’ tab in particular has multiple examples of explicit content being uploaded to the platform.

A Spotify representative has said that the examples recently brought to light have been removed. How these videos made it past the content moderation systems in the first place is a mystery. I’d have thought these systems would be a lot more effective now with AI powering them but apparently that might not be the case.

Spotify is hardly the only platform suffering from behavior like this: YouTube has had a similar problem for a very long time. Videos on YouTube marketed towards children have been found to contain some awful content not suitable for those ages in the slightest. Dozens of accounts pop up in a short amount of time and post hundreds of these videos to flood YouTube feeds.

The Spotify and YouTube issue is also a symptom of a larger matter in my opinion: a lack of care. Yes, both platforms do have systems in place to detect content like this before it’s uploaded but over the years I’ve seen companies care more about ridiculous copyright laws.

YouTube in particular has a big problem when it comes to this. Advertising containing explicit content runs free on the site while someone humming a song for five seconds is enough to get their video a copyright strike. Their priorities just aren’t where they should be.

The examples posted by users online may have been taken down but I’d wager that many more are soon to follow. I don’t know what these accounts get from doing this — aside from views perhaps — but they’re unlikely to stop anytime soon.

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Questions & Answers

What kind of explicit content has been found on Spotify, beyond just audio clips?

Users have reported that searching for popular artists sometimes returns explicit videos. The 'Video' tab specifically has multiple examples of this content uploaded to the platform, indicating a shift from previous instances of just explicit audio.

What explanation has been given for how the explicit videos bypassed Spotify's content moderation?

The article states that how these videos made it past the content moderation systems in the first place is a mystery. There is no specific explanation provided, despite the expectation that AI-powered systems should be more effective.

Has Spotify had issues with explicit content appearing on its platform before?

Yes, this isn't the first time Spotify has experienced problems with explicit content. Previous incidents typically involved explicit audio clips, but accounts have recently become more brazen, now posting videos.

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