👽 A Napster harassment case could have a major impact on Spotify

A name you haven’t thought about in 20 years is back in the news.

Napster is the subject of a harassment case that may lead to changes on the internet.  

• The new Napster: The file-sharing service founded by Sean Parker closed down years ago and was later merged with Rhapsody. People now use Napster for streaming, similar to Spotify or Apple Music. 

• Recently, a man was accused of harassing an ex via Napster: They had a shared account, and he changed the titles of playlists to things like “I want us to work. Do you? I’ll do anything.” Because a restraining order had already been granted against him, he was accused of violating the order and pleaded no contest. 

Bigger than Napster

As The Verge notes, this case is “an example of how metadata can become a vector for harassment outside major social platforms.” Spotify has been accused of not doing enough to police reports of harassment via playlists or to stop stalkers from following users’ music selections.    

The Verdict

Even the platforms you wouldn’t consider “social” have social media problems.