On Wednesday, audio-streaming service Spotify Technology SA (NYSE:SPOT) said it had acquired Kinzen, a company that has helped it track harmful content on the platform. However, deal terms have not been disclosed.
The said acquisition is part of Spotify’s efforts to tackle with harmful content on its service after a backlash this year over ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,’ in which the podcaster was accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19.
The Dublin-based company has been working with Spotify since 2020, initially focusing on the integrity of election-related content around the world. Since then, Kinzen’s remit has extended to include targeting misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.
Spotify’s head of trust and safety, Sarah Hoyle, reported that Kinzen presents a combination of tools and expertise to assist us better understand the content on our platform and emerging abuse trends.
Earlier this year, Spotify said it would be more transparent in how it determines what acceptable and unacceptable content is. It published its platform rules for the first time in January. In June, it formed a Safety Advisory Council to provide input on harmful content.
Kinzen will provide early warnings about problems in different markets, helping Spotify more effectively moderate content in more languages.