Spotify, the world’s leading music streaming platform, is facing criticism after some users reported finding sexually explicit content in search results and playlists.

The issue came to light when a Reddit user shared a screenshot showing a “pornographic video” appearing in Spotify’s search suggestions for the rapper M.I.A. This sparked more complaints, with users reporting similar incidents, such as unexpected explicit videos in search results and even erotic audio tracks appearing in Discovery Weekly playlists.

A Spotify spokesperson told The Verge that the explicit material violated the platform’s rules and was removed. “Such content has been removed due to violation of its policies,” the spokesperson said.

Spotify’s terms ban pornography or any visuals of nudity meant for sexual gratification. Despite this, problems like this have surfaced before. In 2022, a report by Vice revealed cases where users tried to upload hardcore pornographic images to the platform.

While Spotify has a feature to block explicit content, some users have reported that explicit search results can still slip through, raising concerns about how well the platform enforces its content rules.

Since its launch in 2008, Spotify has become the world’s most popular audio streaming service, offering over 100 million songs, 6 million podcasts, and 350,000 audiobooks in 180 markets worldwide.

By 2024, Spotify reached 640 million monthly active users, up 11% from the previous year, and its premium subscribers grew to 252 million.