Spotify is dealing with a major data scraping incident after activist group Anna’s Archive claimed it had copied and published nearly the entire music library of the platform online. The alleged data haul reportedly amounts to around 300 terabytes and includes most of Spotify’s global catalog. On Saturday, Anna’s Archive said it had backed up music files and metadata from the platform, covering an estimated 256 million songs, 58 million albums, and music from over 15 million artists. The group also stated that the scrape represents approximately 99.6 percent of all listens on Spotify, and the files were shared online, sorted according to artist popularity.
Anna’s Archive described the effort as a step toward preserving the world’s musical heritage. In a blog post referenced by Billboard, the group said Spotify’s catalog was a significant starting point for a broader music preservation project. The organization noted that existing preservation efforts are insufficient, arguing that most archives focus on popular artists and often prioritize high-quality formats that require substantial storage. Anna’s Archive encouraged donations and urged users to seed the torrents, claiming the archive could protect music from potential threats such as natural disasters, conflicts, budget reductions, and other interruptions.
Spotify responded to the claims by stating that it had identified and disabled accounts involved in what it called unlawful scraping. The company confirmed that it had implemented additional safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future. Spotify emphasized its long-standing opposition to piracy and its commitment to protecting the rights of artists. The platform said it works closely with industry partners to safeguard content and ensure creators are supported, noting that security measures have been strengthened to monitor for suspicious behavior across its systems.
The incident sheds light on the challenges streaming platforms face in securing extensive digital libraries. Large-scale scraping operations not only raise concerns about copyright violations but also about platform security and user data protection. While Spotify did not disclose how long the scraping activity went undetected, the scale of the reported data dump has drawn widespread attention from both the music and technology sectors. This situation underscores the importance of ongoing vigilance, robust cybersecurity measures, and cooperation with industry stakeholders to protect digital content and maintain trust in streaming services.
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