Last.fm
- The policy allows AI training; it does not describe an opt-out.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- The documents do not say who can read your content.
They collect listening and device data, train models, share for ads, take a broad license, and can ban you without notice.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
- Uses your content for AI training with no opt-out
Collected
Account info, scrobbles, posts, IP, device IDs, cookies, and data from music and ad partners.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“your IP address (which may indicate approximate location at city level), unique device identifiers, cookie ID, media access control (MAC) address and other unique identifiers”
Training
They use it to run the site, recommend music, train models, and show personalised ads.
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Privacy policy
“Train machine learning models to improve services, for example, better recommendations”
Sharing
Service providers, advertisers, social platforms, commercial partners, and research partners can get data.
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Privacy policy
“We share your information with our advertisers and other companies to help show ads that you might be interested in and to check how effective those ads are.”
Kept
They keep it as long as they think they need it, and some records after you leave.
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Privacy policy
“We will retain your personal information for the time period reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes described in this privacy policy”
Controls
You can edit your account, unsubscribe from marketing, and email them to delete data.
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Privacy policy
“Please make requests by emailing dp3@last.fm. IMPORTANT: please include the words "Data Request" in the subject line”
Fine print
They can change terms or close your account without notice; you license uploads forever and them.
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Terms of service
“Last.fm reserves the , suspend, deny or terminate access to all or part of the Website or any Service and to deny access to any person in its sole discretion without notice or of any kind.”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Email a deletion or access request
dp3@last.fm with “Data Request” in the subject line
Opt out of sale or sharing (California)
Email dp3@last.fm with “Data Request” in the subject, as described for / rights
Turn off interest-based ads
Cookie banner / consent tool, youradchoices.com, optout.networkadvertising.org, or device Limit Ad Tracking settings
Stop marketing emails
Unsubscribe link in marketing emails or account settings
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Anything you upload can be used, changed, sold, and passed to others forever, even after you leave.
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Terms of service
“you grant to Last.fm, its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, and partners, without any credit or compensation to you, a non-exclusive, worldwide, , unrestricted, , and fully transferable, assignable and right and licence”
For example, a shout or photo you post could be reused in ads without paying you.
If someone sues them over something you did or posted, you may have to pay their legal bills.
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Terms of service
“You agree to , , and keep Last.fm, its parents, subsidiaries and affiliates, and their respective owners, officers, managers, members, agents and employees, fully and effectively ”
For example, if a comment you wrote leads to a lawsuit, they can ask you to cover their costs.
They can shut your account at any time without warning and without owing you anything.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Last.fm reserves the , suspend, deny or terminate access to all or part of the Website or any Service and to deny access to any person in its sole discretion without notice or of any kind.”
For example, you could lose years of scrobbles overnight with no email first.
Your listening and other data can be used to train their models, and they do not describe a way to turn that off.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Train machine learning models to improve services, for example, better recommendations”
For example, your scrobbles could help train the recommendation system for everyone.
Outside ad companies track you on Last.fm and elsewhere to show targeted ads.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Third-party ad providers (such as Google AdSense, YieldMo, Freestar, Pubmatic etc.) use cookies, pixels, tags, beacons or similar technologies to enable interest-based advertising across sites and apps”
For example, listening to a band could lead to ads for that band on other websites.
They give your information to marketing and event partners, not only to companies that run the site for them.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We share your information with certain commercial partners involved in activities such as marketing or co-branded services or events.”
For example, entering a contest could send your details to a prize partner.
They can change the contract whenever they want and keeping using the site means you accept it.
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Terms of service
“We reserve the right to add, delete, change or modify parts of these Terms of Use at our sole discretion and at any time without notice to you.”
For example, new limits on your account could apply the next time you log in, with no email.
They can record how you move the mouse and click, not just what you type.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“From time to time, we use may third-party tools to help us look at mouse movements, clicks and the pages you visit to assess and improve site functionality, usability and security.”
For example, a session-replay tool could capture how you browse charts.
They say they do not collect health, religion, biometrics, or similar sensitive categories on purpose.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Last.fm does not collect sensitive personal information, such as data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health conditions, biometric data, or sexual orientation.”
For example, they are not asking for a voiceprint or health form to scrobble.
Kids under 16 (13 in the US) are not supposed to have accounts, but they rely on you saying your age.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We do not knowingly allow anyone under the age of 16 (or 13 in the United States) to create an account or submit personal information through the Last.fm Services.”
For example, a 12-year-old in the US who types a fake birthday could still sign up.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- device identifiers
- Codes that single out your phone or computer, used to recognise you across apps and sites. For example, the advertising ID on your phone lets two unrelated apps know they are seeing the same person.
- cookies
- Small files a website saves on your device so it can recognise you and remember what you did. For example, a cookie keeps you logged in and can also tell an ad company which sites you visited.
- model training
- Using your content and conversations as examples to teach an AI system, which can then echo them in future answers. For example, a story you write in a chatbot may be studied by the company to make the next version of the bot.
- retention
- How long a company keeps your data before deleting it. For example, a policy might keep your messages for 30 days after you delete them, or for as long as it likes.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- data subject rights
- The legal rights you have over your data, such as seeing it, fixing it, deleting it or moving it. For example, you can email the company and ask for a copy of everything it holds about you.
- limitation of liability
- A cap on what the company will ever pay you if something goes wrong, often only what you paid in the last year. For example, if a leak of your data costs you thousands, the most you may get back is a month's subscription fee.
- irrevocable
- Cannot be taken back or cancelled once given, even if you change your mind or delete your account. For example, an irrevocable licence to your photos means you cannot withdraw it later.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- perpetual
- Lasting forever, with no end date. For example, a perpetual licence means the company can keep using your video years after you leave.
- royalty-free
- The company can use your content without ever paying you for it. For example, your photo can appear in the app's ads and you get nothing.
- sublicensable
- The company can pass its rights over your content on to other companies without asking you. For example, an app can let an advertiser or a partner reuse your video under the licence you gave.
How we got here · grade D · score 35/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 3 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account and listening data plus IP, device IDs, cookies, clicks, mouse movements, and partner data.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
They say they do not collect biometric data. Voice or face is not part of the service as described.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
They say they train machine learning models on personal information and do not describe an opt-out.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
Not stated in the documents.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
Third-party ad networks use cookies and similar tools for interest-based ads across sites and apps.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share with advertisers, commercial partners, and social platforms; California users can opt out of sale or sharing.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
Uploads get a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable licence for any purpose, including ads.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
You ask them by email to delete your account and data; they keep some records after the relationship ends.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
Not stated in the documents.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They say they use commercially reasonable technical, administrative, and physical security measures. No audit or leak history is described.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
The service is for adults; they do not knowingly allow under 16 (13 in the US) and do not use verified parental consent.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
Terms can change at any time without notice; continued use counts as acceptance. The privacy policy is dated and may get a notice for big changes.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They can restrict, suspend, or terminate access in their sole discretion without notice or liability.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is “as is” with broad liability limits, and you must indemnify them for claims tied to your use or uploads.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Not stated in the documents.
The privacy policy is 4,002 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 34.3); the terms are 6,785 words at a college graduate level.
