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LONDON: Spotify said on Monday it would increase monthly price of its premium individual subscription in select markets from September, including the Middle East, as the Swedish streaming giant looks to improve margins.
The company’s shares jumped nearly 8 percent. They have gained about 40 percent so far this year.
As well as the Middle East, the subscription price will rise to 11.99 euros ($13.86) per month from 10.99 euros in markets including South Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Spotify said subscribers will receive an email explaining the price rise over the next month.
Price increases in the past, combined with cost-cutting efforts in recent years, have helped it to achieve its first annual profit for 2024.
The company saw an increase in monthly active users and premium subscribers during the second quarter, while higher taxes related to employee salaries led it to post a loss during the period and weighed on its third-quarter profit forecast.
Spotify has been expanding its library of video content to attract subscribers, including through its partner program, which is designed to help podcast creators by offering them monetization options.
A growing number of creators are joining the Spotify Partner Program, resulting in a significant increase in video content on the platform, CEO Daniel Ek had earlier told Reuters.
The streaming company is also benefiting from Apple’s approval of its US app update to show subscription prices and external payment links, after a judge barred the iPhone maker from charging commission on off-app purchases.
Ek said this change has led to “a very positive uptick” in the US If similar rules are adopted in Europe and the UK, it would benefit both Spotify and other app developers.

LONDON: Pro-Palestine online content in the UK could be censored through the twin threat of the Online Safety Act and banning of Palestine Action, human rights groups have warned.

Content in support of Palestinians published online could be misconstrued as supporting Palestine Action, a protest group that was proscribed under anti-terrorism laws on July 5, .

Index on Censorship, Open Rights Group and other organizations have written to Ofcom, the UK’s independent communications regulator, to request clarification on the matter.

Signatories to the letter also warned that online content objecting to Palestine Action’s banning could be misidentified as unlawful support for the group.

Open Rights Group’s Sara Chitseko, a pre-crime program manager, told The Guardian: “Crucial public debate about Gaza is being threatened by vague, overly broad laws that could lead to content about Palestine being removed or hidden online.

“There’s also a real danger that people will start self-censoring, worried they might be breaking the law just by sharing or liking posts related to Palestine and nonviolent direct action.

“This is a serious attack on freedom of expression and the right to protest in the UK. We need to ensure that people can share content about Palestine online without being afraid that they will be characterised as supportive of terrorism.”

Major online social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have been advised by Ofcom that they can avoid concerns about meeting the requirements of the Online Safety Act if they are more stringent with censoring content than is mandated by the act.

The letter sent to Ofcom by the rights groups warned: “This approach risks encouraging automated moderation that disproportionately affects political speech, particularly from marginalised communities, including Palestinian voices.”

The UK, unlike the EU, lacks a mechanism through which users can appeal the censoring of their online content.

Signatories to the letter — which was also sent to Meta, Alphabet, X and ByteDance, owners of the world’s top social media platforms — called for the creation of a British dispute mechanism to discourage the censoring of lawful content.

The letter added: “We are concerned that the proscription of Palestine Action may result in an escalation of platforms removing content, using algorithms to hide Palestine solidarity posts and leave individuals and those reporting on events vulnerable to surveillance or even criminalisation for simply sharing or liking content that references nonviolent direct action.

“We are also concerned about what platforms understand by their legal duties regarding expressions of ‘support’ for Palestine Action.”

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We have provided detailed guidance to platforms about how to identify the particular types of illegal and harmful material prohibited or restricted by the act, including how to determine whether content may have been posted by a proscribed organisation.

“There is no requirement on companies to restrict legal content for adult users. In fact, they must carefully consider how they protect users’ rights to freedom of expression while keeping people safe.”