Article Lead Image

Screengrab via spotify/Instagram

Spotify ads served malware to users

Maybe it’s time to start paying for ad-free services.

 

Brianna Holt

Tech

Posted on Oct 5, 2016   Updated on May 25, 2021, 8:51 pm CDT

Maybe it’s time to start paying for ad-free services. At least if you use Spotify.

The online music streaming service reportedly has fallen victim to serving malware-laden ads. Even scarier is that some of the ads did not require information to be added for the virus to hack a system. A bid would pop up in the default browser and immediately begin to compromise the software.

Users of several different computer brands experienced the ad popping up on their screen, including Linux, Windows, and Mac users, according to Engadget. 

Spotify put out a public statement today in regards to the issue:

A small number of users have experienced a problem with questionable website pop ups in their default browsers as a result of an isolated issue with an ad on our free tier. We have now identified the source of the problem and have shut it down. We will continue to monitor the situation.

H/T Engadget

Share this article
*First Published: Oct 5, 2016, 6:32 pm CDT