Spotify prohibits ad blockers in the updated Terms of Service.

Spotify is now explicitly banning ad blockers, as stated in an updated policy from Terms of Service sent today.

The new rules specifically state that "circumventing or blocking ads on the Spotify Service, or creating or distributing tools designed to block ads on the Spotify Service" may result in immediate termination or suspension of your account.

The service already takes significant steps to limit ad blockers. In a report by DigiDay last August, a Spotify spokesperson revealed that the company has "multiple detection measures in place to monitor consumption on the service to detect, investigate and deal with [artificial manipulation of streaming activity]."

After it was reported last March that 2 million users (about 2 percent of free Spotify users) were dodging ads with modified apps and accounts, Spotify began to take strong action by disabling accounts when the company detected abnormal activity. 

Users were sent email warnings and given the opportunity to reactivate their accounts after uninstalling the ad-blocking software. In a few rare cases where the problem persisted, Spotify would terminate the account .

Ending ad blockers

The new Terms of Service, which will take effect March 1, will give Spotify the authority to terminate accounts immediately, without notice.

The new guidelines will kick off an exciting period of growth for Spotify as the service commits to building a podcast network with the recent acquisitions of podcast companies Gimlet Media and Anchor. Spotify's most recent earnings report showed that the company made a profit for the first time in its 13-year history.