The data that Spotify collects is not uncommon—other apps and services you use collect a lot more. But Barletta says the “most powerful thing” about Spotify is that it feels a lot more private than Facebook or other social media platforms, because you’re feeding its algorithms in a different way. “You can’t upload anything, you can’t have conversations,” he says. You are not sharing photos, videos, or messages. But, despite this, Spotify still knows how you think and feel.

Learn about the data that Spotify collects, how they use it to influence you, personalize advertising, and what you can do to improve your data privacy: https://www.wired.com/story/spotify-tracking-how-to-stop-it/