Spotify and Recording Industry Association of America Chairman/CEO Cary Sherman have asked the U.S. House of Representatives to lift an apparent ban on the music streamer for those who use the House computer network.
Spotify is a “licensed, secure online streaming music service,” said Sherman in a letter to Dan Strodel, chief administrative officer of the House.
The House wants to prevent access to unauthorized peer-to-peer services for security reasons as well as to prevent use of its computer network for illegal activity.
“To help protect House data, our IT policy generally prohibits the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies while operating within the secure network,” a spokesman for the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer told Politico. “While Spotify is currently not authorized, the CAO has and will continue to work with outside vendors to enable the popular services that improve member communication capabilities.”
The Senate does not appear to have such a policy limiting access to Spotify, reports Politico.
Both Spotify and the RIAA urged the House to change the Spotify ban. Sherman wrote: “We appreciate your need to ensure that the House network is secure, and we would welcome the opportunity to work with you to develop a new policy that ensures that users of the House network will be able to gain access to these new legal services.”
