After more than two months of suffering through a music drought, the House of Representatives can finally listen to the music streaming service Spotify once again and it looks like it made at least a couple congressmen’s day!
Glad to hear that @spotify is back in the House. Just in time for spring.
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) April 10, 2013
Great to have @spotify available in the Capitol again! #LetTheMusicFlow
— Eric Cantor (@GOPLeader) April 10, 2013
The House Office of the Chief Administrative Officer originally blocked the site in January to protect data in the House, but not all of the House members thought it was worth the sacrifice.
House blocked Spotify? This is 2013. It is a legal service that should be allowed. Pandora, YouTube, iTunes, Spotify… Let the music flow!
— Eric Cantor (@GOPLeader) February 1, 2013
And Spotify wasn’t too happy about the decision either. “Music is a common language that all political parties speak and should be used to bring the legislators of this great country together so they can solve the serious issues facing our nation,” a Spotify spokesman told Politico in January when the site was first banned.
After Spotify and Congress both expressed their outrage, the Chief Administrator’s Office collaborated with Spotify on finding a safer way to stream music to the House that doesn’t use peer-to-peer technology that can sometimes cause viruses and allows illegal file sharing.
Finally successful, Spotify has made its comeback to the House and now the House Majority Leader can finally listen to Jay-Z and Wiz Kalifia again!
