Spotify is showing its tough face to users who use ad blockers.
Via email on February 7, the platform announced to its users that the terms and conditions would be updated with changes that would take effect on March 1.
However, these changes will only apply to non-premium users.
The latest user guidelines state: “It is strictly prohibited to circumvent or block ads on the Spotify service or to create or distribute tools designed to block ads.”
Non-compliance may result in the user's account being suspended or even worse, terminated.
It was reported that around 2 million Spotify users were using ad blockers to avoid subscribing to the Premium account, which charges US$9.99 per month and comes without ads.
Some users have also resorted to using third-party apps to access Premium features, despite subscribers growing from 71 million to 96 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek adds, however, that there is more to come for users, in the form of podcasts.
Last week, the company announced that it was going to buy Anchor and Gimlet Media, which produce podcasts like Reply All and Crimetown respectively.
“There are endless ways to tell stories that aim to entertain, educate, challenge, inspire, or bring us closer together and break down cultural barriers.”
“The format is constantly evolving and while podcasting is still a relatively small business today, I see incredible growth potential in this space and for Spotify in particular,” Daniel said in a blog post.
