Spotify Car Thing: Difference between revisions

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|infobox_in_production=Discontinued, December 2024

|infobox_website=[https://web.archive.org/web/20250127021601/https://carthing.spotify.com/|archive.org archive.org]

|description=The Spotify Car Thing was a physical device that allowed extended control of the Spotify app. When connected to a device running the Spotify app the Car Thing accesses an API for communication with the app, interacting with the Car Thing attempts to make API calls for interaction. Production of the Car Thing stopped The product ceased functioning on December 9th when the Car Thing API was shutdown, preventing the device from interacting with the Spotify app.

|description=The Spotify Car Thing was a physical device that allowed extended control of the Spotify app. When connected to a device running the Spotify app the Car Thing accesses an API for communication with the app, interacting with the Car Thing attempts to make API calls for interaction. Production of the Car Thing stopped July of 2022. The product ceased functioning on December 9th 2024 when the Car Thing API was shutdown, preventing the device from interacting with the Spotify app.

|summary_1_1=~~Freedom summary~~

|summary_1_1=The Car Thing's impact on user freedom is relatively minor up until the discontinuation and end-of-functioning as a result.

* '''Revocation of control''' - the [[Self-destructive design|discontinuation bricking]] of the device ultimately took away user control for thousands of people. Control was only regained after [[Security|security vulnerabilities]] in the device were exploited.

* '''Dependence on a phone app for basic functions''' - the Car Thing dependence on the Spotify app required that a phone authorized with the Spotify app always be present and connected to the Car Thing. The car thing's lack of offline support [[Forced app download|forced]] the user to use an app possibly unnecessarily.

* '''Retroactive resale falsification''' - the discontinuation bricking incident has created some potential risk for reseller false advertising which has been documented [[False advertising|here]].

|summary_2_1=The Car Thing and its security incidence had significant implications towards user privacy.

* '''Data collection''' - Spotify openly admitted that the Car Thing had been developed to collect data on "how people listen to music and podcasts".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250129004743/https://newsroom.spotify.com/2019-05-17/5-things-to-know-about-spotifys-latest-test/ "5 Things to Know about Spotify’s Latest Test"] - archive.org - archived 2025-01-28</ref> How the data collected through the SCT is useful for this purpose is unclear.

* '''Security Concerns''' - The root access exploit<ref name=":1" /> while beneficial to user freedom, allowing them to [[jailbreak]] their device also raises some concerns for future buyers of jailbroken car things -- a malicious seller could upload malware onto the device -- resold SCTs may be a potential security risk.

|incidents_1_title=Production discontinued<ref name=":0">[https://archive.is/9F9Jk "Spotify’s Sordid Car Thing History—Here’s a Timeline of the Disastrous Hardware Release" - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28]</ref>

|incidents_1_date=July 27, 2022

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|incidents_4_title=Total discontinuation announced<ref name=":2" />

|incidents_4_date=May 23, 2024

|incidents_4_text=Spotify official announces the Car Thing's discontinuation on their website warning users that it will cease functioning entirely after December 9th, effectively ~~[[Self-destructive design|~~discontinuation bricking]] the device. <ref name=":2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20250128235625/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ | "Car Thing discontinued"] - archive.org - archived 2025-01-28</ref>

|incidents_4_text=Spotify official announces the Car Thing's discontinuation on their website warning users that it will cease functioning entirely after December 9th, effectively discontinuation bricking] the device. <ref name=":2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20250128235625/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ | "Car Thing discontinued"] - archive.org - archived 2025-01-28</ref>

|incidents_5_title=SCT API is shut down and removed from the Spotify App<ref name=":0" />

|incidents_5_date=December 9, 2024

|incidents_5_text=The removal of the Spotify Car Thing API completely bricked all Car Things in distribution.

~~|summary_2_1=Privacy Summary~~

}}

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |infobox_in_production=Discontinued, December 2024
 |infobox_website=[https://web.archive.org/web/20250127021601/https://carthing.spotify.com/&#124;archive.org archive.org]
-|description=The Spotify Car Thing was a physical device that allowed extended control of the Spotify app. When connected to a device running the Spotify app the Car Thing accesses an API for communication with the app, interacting with the Car Thing attempts to make API calls for interaction. Production of the Car Thing stopped  The product ceased functioning on December 9th when the Car Thing API was shutdown, preventing the device from interacting with the Spotify app.
+|description=The Spotify Car Thing was a physical device that allowed extended control of the Spotify app. When connected to a device running the Spotify app the Car Thing accesses an API for communication with the app, interacting with the Car Thing attempts to make API calls for interaction. Production of the Car Thing stopped July of 2022. The product ceased functioning on December 9th 2024 when the Car Thing API was shutdown, preventing the device from interacting with the Spotify app.
-|summary_1_1=Freedom summary
+|summary_1_1=The Car Thing's impact on user freedom is relatively minor up until the discontinuation and end-of-functioning as a result.
+* '''Revocation of control''' - the [[Self-destructive design|discontinuation bricking]] of the device ultimately took away user control for thousands of people. Control was only regained after [[Security|security vulnerabilities]] in the device were exploited.
+* '''Dependence on a phone app for basic functions''' - the Car Thing dependence on the Spotify app required that a phone authorized with the Spotify app always be present and connected to the Car Thing. The car thing's lack of offline support [[Forced app download|forced]] the user to use an app possibly unnecessarily.
+* '''Retroactive resale falsification''' - the discontinuation bricking incident has created some potential risk for reseller false advertising which has been documented [[False advertising|here]].
+|summary_2_1=The Car Thing and its security incidence had significant implications towards user privacy.
+* '''Data collection''' - Spotify openly admitted that the Car Thing had been developed to collect data on "how people listen to music and podcasts".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250129004743/https://newsroom.spotify.com/2019-05-17/5-things-to-know-about-spotifys-latest-test/ "5 Things to Know about Spotify’s Latest Test"] - archive.org - archived 2025-01-28</ref> How the data collected through the SCT is useful for this purpose is unclear.
+* '''Security Concerns''' - The root access exploit<ref name=":1" /> while beneficial to user freedom, allowing them to [[jailbreak]] their device also raises some concerns for future buyers of jailbroken car things -- a malicious seller could upload malware onto the device -- resold SCTs may be a potential security risk.
 |incidents_1_title=Production discontinued<ref name=":0">[https://archive.is/9F9Jk "Spotify’s Sordid Car Thing History—Here’s a Timeline of the Disastrous Hardware Release" - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28]</ref>
 |incidents_1_date=July 27, 2022
@@ Line 20: / Line 27: @@
 |incidents_4_title=Total discontinuation announced<ref name=":2" />
 |incidents_4_date=May 23, 2024
-|incidents_4_text=Spotify official announces the Car Thing's discontinuation on their website warning users that it will cease functioning entirely after December 9th, effectively [[Self-destructive design|discontinuation bricking]] the device. <ref name=":2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20250128235625/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ | "Car Thing discontinued"] - archive.org - archived 2025-01-28</ref>
+|incidents_4_text=Spotify official announces the Car Thing's discontinuation on their website warning users that it will cease functioning entirely after December 9th, effectively discontinuation bricking] the device. <ref name=":2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20250128235625/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ | "Car Thing discontinued"] - archive.org - archived 2025-01-28</ref>
 |incidents_5_title=SCT API is shut down and removed from the Spotify App<ref name=":0" />
 |incidents_5_date=December 9, 2024
 |incidents_5_text=The removal of the Spotify Car Thing API completely bricked all Car Things in distribution.
-|summary_2_1=Privacy Summary
 }}