Audio streaming service Spotify Technology SA ( SPOT.N ) said on Wednesday it has acquired Kinzen, a firm that helped it identify harmful content on the platform.
The acquisition is part of Spotify’s efforts to combat harmful content on its service following the backlash over “The Joe Rogan Experience” earlier this year, in which the podcaster was accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19. was planted.
The Dublin-based firm 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 expanded to include targeting misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.
“Kinzen offers a suite of tools and expertise to help us better understand emerging trends in content and abuse on our platform,” said Sarah Hoyle, head of trust and safety at Spotify.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Earlier this year, Spotify said it would be more transparent in how it determines acceptable and unacceptable content. It first published its platform rules in January. In June, it formed a safety advisory council to provide input on harmful content.
Kinzen will provide early warnings about issues in different markets, helping Spotify to more effectively moderate content in more languages.
