Watchdogs: Child Predators May Exploit Popular Social Platform’s New Feature
spotify has introduced a new direct messaging (DM) feature on its platform, aiming to allow users to share content more easily wiht friends and creators. However, teh National Center on Sexual Exploitation has raised serious concerns about this feature, warning that it could be exploited by child predators to target minors, including teenagers. The center urges Spotify to disable the DM function for users under 16 and implement stronger age verification methods to protect minors. They highlight SpotifyS history of inadequate child safety measures, pointing out it took the company eight years to add basic parental controls. Experts stress that even teens aged 16-17 remain highly vulnerable to online sexual exploitation and grooming, and the rollout of this feature could exacerbate these risks. Additionally, the Center notes that Spotify hosts content that may normalize sexual violence and abuse, such as explicit thumbnails and audio pornography. Despite Spotify’s intention to enhance user connection and content sharing, watchdog groups call for more robust protections to safeguard young users from potential harm on the platform.
The popular music streaming platform Spotify recently unveiled a new direct message feature, which the National Center on Sexual Exploitation believes could be infiltrated by child predators.
A watchdog group warned in an Aug. 27 statement that Spotify must disable this DM feature for minors and “utilize robust age verification to ensure minors do not access it.”
“Direct messages are a high-risk feature for sexual abuse and grooming online,” the Center said.
Executive director Haley McNamara added, “Spotify should halt its rollout of a new DM feature, given that DMs are a prime way predators can contact teens.”
Apparently, Spotify has had longstanding issues with failing to ensure the safety of minors.
“Spotify has a track record of not prioritizing child safety, as it took them eight years just to add basic parental controls,” McNamara explained.
PS…#Spotify patting itself on the back for excluding kids under 16 from its new DM feature misses the point.
Research shows 16–17yos are often at highest risk!
IWF found 16–17yos are victims in 3 of 5 sextortion cases.@Spotify time to rethink this rollout. https://t.co/6vcCf1tiz0
— Haley McNamara (@HaleyMcNamara) August 27, 2025
“There have already been cases of children being groomed and abused on Spotify, and inevitably this will get worse with the DM feature,” she continued.
“All minors deserve to be protected from online harms, and teens aren’t immune from these harms when they turn 16.”
The Center also named Spotify to their “Dirty Dozen” list of “mainstream contributors to sexual exploitation” just last year.
Although the music platform isn’t known as a pornography app, children can still access visual content that normalizes “sexual violence, child sexual abuse, and incest” through thumbnails depicting sexual activity.
In addition, there is “audio pornography” in the form of “sex sounds or sexually explicit stories read aloud.”
Spotify said last week that the DM feature was created as a result of feedback from users, who want to more easily content among their friends.
“For artists, authors, and creators, easier sharing means more word-of-mouth recommendations and helps create new fans,” the company said in an announcement.
“Our goal is to give users what they want and make those moments of connection more seamless and streamlined in the Spotify app.”
The service is available for anyone who is 16 years or older; however, certain content is age restricted, according to the company’s website.
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