Tech Giants Face Scrutiny Over Smart Speaker Data Collection Practices in UK Radio Market

The commercial radio industry has raised significant concerns regarding the data collection practices of major technology companies through smart speaker devices, alleging that Amazon, Google, and Apple are leveraging proprietary broadcaster information to develop competing streaming services.

Radiocentre, the trade body representing commercial radio stations across the United Kingdom, has formally accused these technology firms of utilising non-public listener data to inform the development and enhancement of radio-style offerings on their respective platforms. The data in question encompasses listener demographics, voice command patterns, and station-switching behaviour, all of which could provide substantial competitive advantages in the increasingly crowded audio streaming market.

Matt Payton, chief executive of Radiocentre, articulated the industry’s position, stating that platform operators function as gatekeepers with privileged access to valuable data streams. This access enables them to develop comparable services with superior information resources for optimisation and refinement. The concern centres on the potential misuse of this data asymmetry to create more sophisticated competing products or deliver more precisely targeted advertising.

Both Amazon and Apple have introduced personalised radio stations within their music streaming ecosystems, offering customised playlists based on individual listening preferences, artist selections, and genre tastes. Whilst Payton acknowledged that traditional radio stations have not yet experienced material adverse impacts, he emphasised that the platforms’ historical behaviour patterns warrant regulatory attention, particularly given the inadequacy of current protective measures.

The regulatory landscape is evolving following the passage of the Media Act, which mandates Ofcom to develop frameworks protecting the availability of online radio streams through smart speakers, formally classified as radio selection services. The regulator has initiated a consultation process to determine which software applications should fall within the scope of the new rules, with proposals to include Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri.

Commercial radio operators have expressed support for Ofcom’s proposals whilst simultaneously advocating for more robust safeguards against technology companies encroaching upon traditional broadcasting territory. The industry has specifically requested direct access to user data generated when listeners access radio content via smart speakers, arguing that broadcasters should control information about their own audience engagement.

The concerns reflect a broader pattern in the technology sector, colloquially termed “Sherlocking”, whereby platform operators integrate popular third-party functionalities into their native services, effectively displacing independent applications. The term derives from Apple’s defunct Sherlock search tool, which rendered the competing Watson application obsolete.

Radiocentre’s submission to Ofcom highlighted a critical gap in the proposed regulatory framework, noting the absence of protections when users issue generic voice commands such as “Play classical music”. Industry representatives contend that in such scenarios, technology firms should present users with options encompassing both licensed radio stations and proprietary streaming services, rather than defaulting to platform-owned alternatives.

The Media Act incorporates provisions requiring licensed UK radio stations to maintain prominent discoverability on smart speaker platforms, whilst prohibiting technology companies from interrupting radio broadcasts with their own commercial messages. However, the legislation does not address the preferential treatment of proprietary services in response to ambiguous user requests, a concern that Radiocentre argues requires immediate attention.

Amazon declined to provide comment on the allegations, whilst Apple and Google had not responded to requests for statements at the time of publication. An Ofcom spokesperson confirmed that the regulator would carefully consider all consultation responses before issuing its formal statement in due course.

The dispute underscores the ongoing tension between traditional media companies and technology platforms, as digital distribution channels become increasingly central to content consumption. The outcome of Ofcom’s consultation could establish important precedents for data ownership and competitive practices in converged media markets, with implications extending beyond the radio sector to other forms of digital content distribution.