Do you remember the good old days when you would sign up for a service and that service would simply provide that service to you and then leave you alone?
Those days are long long gone unless you legally fight back, now. Even music streaming services now demand to be able to constantly listen to everything you do in order to determine your emotional state. Whether or not they choose to use this newly obtained patent, the implications are massive.
“Music streaming service Spotify has won a patent that will enable it to snoop on users’ speech and “background noise” in order to choose songs that best suit the listener’s “emotional state.”
Yes, really.
“Spotify has received a patent that will allow it to use speech recognition and sound analysis to assess a user’s demographic attributes, determine their emotional state, and even glean insight into their location,” reports RT. “The information will be used – hypothetically, at least – to pick the perfect song to play without requiring any conscious data input from the listener.””
Nothing to see here, folks. There is no way that this highly subjective and very personal data could ever be stored or mined and used against you by Spotify or any third party to which Spotify sells your data, right? The government will never be able to access or demand such data in order to define someone’s emotional state in a court of law, right? There is no threat of this data being used in some Orwellian or Brave New World social credit system, right?
The story goes on:
“”In addition to demographic information, the technology will also scan for “intonation, stress, rhythm and the likes of units of speech” to determine the user’s mood. It will also be able to pick up ambient background noise in order to determine whether the user it at a party, using public transport or on a rural walk.
Huh? Pick up ambient noises?
If you have a playlist for intimate occasions, will Spotify record this and note it in its logs? Can it reference the person you are with an cross-reference your user data? Can you ever be sure it is NOT listening to you? Does it listen to you go to the bathroom or get in a fight? Does it know how you ‘feel’ about politics and religion based upon your speech and ‘ambient noises’?
“The technology will utilize the user’s emotional response to tweak its algorithm and perform better suited song suggestions in pursuit of a “positive metadata/emotional state.”
Spotify secured another patent back in October called “methods and systems for personalizing user experience based on [user] personality traits,” while also publishing a paper in July that detailed its plans “to link streaming behavior with brain scanning, genetic, and physiological data.””
But, don’t worry. It is ok because every other Big Tech company and government that we all trust are doing it, too, so why not Spotify as well? Everyone on all sides of the political isle can trust a billion dollar corporation, right?
“The use of in-built microphones of cellphones to spy on users is by no means a brand new technology.
Android and Apple users are routinely asked to give permission to apps enabling them to access cellphone mics.””
Americans need to stop the hastening snowball roll into the dark canyon of authoritarianism, asap, or they will lose everything. Do you really want 24/7 data–which can and will hacked, to be permanently associated with you regarding your emotional state 24 hours a day? If you listen to Christian or libertarian rap, will this be used against you in a court of law that labels you as a mentally ill subversive?
In China it sure will. And that is where America is headed very fast.
Is 24/7 Artificial Intelligence data collection of user data really necessary for you to choose the next Lady GaGa song on your Illegitimate Presidential Inauguration Playlist?
You couldn’t possibly know the music you want to listen to and choose it for yourself, could you?
Will we stand up against this corporatist Big Tech tyranny or simply accept the velvet gloves of authoritarianism that are being tightened around our collective and complacent neck?
