Spotify acquires Dublin-based content moderation startup Kinzen – Music Business Worldwide

Spotify has acquired a tech startup based in Ireland that specializes in harmful content moderation.

The steaming platform says that Kinzen’s technology and “deep expertise” will “help us more effectively deliver a safe, enjoyable experience on our platform around the world”.

The acquisition comes three months after Spotify launched its ‘Safety Advisory Council’, which it said at the time was “the first safety-focused council of its type at any major audio company”.

SPOT said that the council’s “mission” is to help it “evolve its policies and products in a safe way while making sure we respect creator expression”.

Spotify says that its current partnership with Kinzen, which began in 2020, has been “critical to enhancing our approach to platform safety”.

It adds that the tech developed by Kinzen “is particularly suited for podcasting and audio formats, making its value to Spotify clear and unmatched”.

The acqusition marks an expansion of Spotify’s efforts to tackle misinformation in its podcasts.

Spotify says in a press release that “given the complexity of analyzing audio content in hundreds of languages and dialects, and the challenges in effectively evaluating the nuance and intent of that content” its acquisition of Kinzen will help it to “identify emerging threats on the platform”.

“This expansion of our team, combined with the launch of our Safety Advisory Council, demonstrates the proactive approach we’re taking in this important space.”

Sarah Hoyle, Spotify

“We’ve long had an impactful and collaborative partnership with Kinzen and its exceptional team. Now, working together as one, we’ll be able to even further improve our ability to detect and address harmful content, and importantly, in a way that better considers local context,” said Dustee Jenkins, Spotify’s Global Head of Public Affairs.

“This investment expands Spotify’s approach to platform safety, and underscores how seriously we take our commitment to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for creators and users.”

“The combination of tools and expert insights is Kinzen’s unique strength that we see as essential to identifying emerging abuse trends in markets and moderating potentially dangerous content at scale,” said Sarah Hoyle, Spotify’s Head of Trust and Safety.

“This expansion of our team, combined with the launch of our Safety Advisory Council, demonstrates the proactive approach we’re taking in this important space.”Music Business Worldwide