Last.fm Denies Giving Users’ Data to RIAA
After U2’s latest album, No Line On the Horizon, was leaked online, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reportedly became interested in users listening to the album on Last.fm. Then on February 20, online magazine TechCrunch posted an unsourced rumor that said Last.fm was revealing users’ listening data to the RIAA, an accusation that Last.fm’s employees are vehemently denying.
If the popular music streaming site were to hand over listener data, the RIAA would be able to identify people that have unreleased tracks on their computers. Richard Jones, one of the remaining three co-founders in London, wrote on TechCrunch comments: “I’m rather pissed off this article was published, except to say that this is utter nonsense and totally untrue. As far as I can tell, the author of this article got a ‘tip’ from one person and decided to make a story out of it. TechCrunch is full of shit, film at 11.”
Some Last.fm users have actually deleted their accounts, but another Last.fm employee calls the accusations “utter unfounded bullshit” and says that the story is purposely trying to damage the Last.fm’s reputation.
Systems architect Russ Garrett issued a “full and categorical denial,” but also said that they regularly provide broad data to labels, but never “personally identify users to a third party”.
How true is the anonymous tip? Is the story worthy of so much attention? If it is true, will you stop using Last.fm?
Source: TMT
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