Anonymous researcher exposes politicians' hidden Spotify playlists, including Vance, Leavitt and Bondi

Vice President JD Vance is a big fan of the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gets pumped up with Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)." And former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi? She cranks Nelly's "Hot In Herre."

That's all according to Panama Playlists, a website that quietly went live recently and claims to reveal the hidden music tastes of politicians, tech leaders and journalists.

"I found the real Spotify accounts of celebrities, politicians and journalists. Many use their real names," the anonymous site creator wrote. "With a little sleuthing, I could say with near-certainty: yep, this is them."

The anonymous researcher, who says they've been scraping accounts since summer 2024, insists they only used publicly available information. "I've been scraping their playlists for over a year. Some individuals even have a setting enabled that displays their last played song. I scraped this continuously, so I know what songs they played, how many times and when." They also noted there is no affiliation with Spotify. The site itself frames the project as more playful than sinister.

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At first, this all feels like lighthearted gossip, but it points to a bigger issue: how much of our personal information is publicly available by default? A playlist can reveal mood, personality and even political leanings. When pieced together with other open-source data, these details help paint a surprisingly detailed portrait. The lesson? Privacy leaks don't always involve hackers. Sometimes, it's the platforms themselves leaving doors wide open. 

REMOVE YOUR DATA TO PROTECT YOUR RETIREMENT FROM SCAMMERS

The playlists range from ironic to eyebrow-raising, with some choices feeling almost too on the nose. Here are some of the highlights: 

The vice president's "Making Dinner" playlist includes "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys and Justin Bieber's "One Time." His "Gold On The Ceiling" playlist adds eclectic picks like "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction, "You are a Tourist" by Death Cab for Cutie and "San Francisco" by The Mowgli's.

The White House press secretary's "Baby Shower" playlist featured Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)" and Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." The timing matched her actual baby shower, further confirming the account.

The OpenAI CEO's "My Shazam Tracks" suggests he's searched for "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliott, George Ezra's "Blame It on Me," and David Guetta and OneRepublic's "I Don't Wanna Wait."

The U.S. attorney general's playlist "Pam" includes "Hot In Herre" by Nelly, "Hands to Myself" by Selena Gomez and "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner.

The Florida governor keeps it classic. His playlist includes "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, Billy Joel's "Piano Man" and "Life Is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts.

The House speaker has a Pandora account with Jerry Goldsmith's "The Parachutes," Enya's "May It Be" and Bryan Adams' "One Night Love Affair."

The Instagram CEO's playlist, "Hang," shows a reflective and soulful side. It features "July" by Noah Cyrus and Leon Bridges, "River" by Leon Bridges, "Strangers" by The Kinks and Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat." He rounds it out with Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and Bobby Vinton's "Mr. Lonely." 

9 ONLINE PRIVACY RISKS YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT

This is less about guilty pleasures and more about digital exposure. The music you thought was just for your earbuds might already be telling a story about you to strangers. 

If you use Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music, take a moment to review your privacy settings. Here's how to protect yourself: 

Turn off public defaults. Only share playlists you intentionally want others to see.

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube Music

Note: There is no global setting to make all playlists private at once; you must adjust privacy for each playlist individually. The privacy setting is available when creating a new playlist or editing an existing one. For brand-new playlists, you'll see a privacy selection box during playlist creation. 

Streaming platforms often link to third-party apps. Revoke access for those you no longer use. 

Playlist names, listening history and even likes reveal more than you think. 

What looks like harmless fun, like a playlist name or your "last played" track, can actually become part of a bigger puzzle. A determined bad actor could stitch together your music history with other open-source data, such as your social posts, tagged photos or even public records. Over time, those small details paint a surprisingly complete picture of your habits, locations or private interests.

That's why reducing your overall digital footprint matters. Personal data removal services work to wipe your information from data broker sites, making it harder for anyone to cross-reference your listening habits with your identity. The less data floating around, the harder it is for someone to connect the dots in ways you never intended.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com/FreeScan. 

Privacy settings change often. Check regularly to ensure your preferences haven't been reset and keep your software updated.  

The playlist leak may feel like a punchline, but it serves as a real reminder. Our digital lives are stitched together from tiny details we often overlook. Even something as simple as your favorite workout jams can end up on display if you don't take control. Privacy isn't about hiding your personality. It's about choosing what you share, and with whom.

Would you be comfortable if your own playlists, every guilty pleasure and repeat listens were suddenly made public? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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