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

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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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Why leaked playlists matter

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.

What the Panama Playlists reveal

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

JD Vance

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.

Karoline Leavitt

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.

Sam Altman

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.”

Pam Bondi

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.

Ron DeSantis

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.

Mike Johnson

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.”

Adam Mosseri

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.”

What Panama Playlists teaches us

Panama Playlists demonstrate how a person’s music can clash with their public image, revealing hidden interests that shake expectations.
Your tunes might be more visible than you think.
Spotify’s default settings put playlists in public mode unless you switch them to private.

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.

Tips to stay safe and protect your playlist

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

1) Make playlists private

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

Spotify

Disable public visibility: Stop new playlists from being automatically public.
Tap your profile picture in the upper left.
Tap Settings and privacy
Click Privacy and Social
Toggle off Public playlists.

Apple Music

Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap your profile icon or picture in the upper right of the screen.
Tap “View Profile.”
On your profile page, tap “Edit.”
Find the toggle for “Listening To” or “Allow Others to See What You’re Listening To” and turn it off to stop sharing your Apple Music listening activity.

YouTube Music

Open the YouTube Music app and sign in.
Tap your profile picture to go to your Library.
Find the playlist you want to edit. Long-press on the playlist or open it and tap the three dots (…).
Choose Edit playlist.
Under Privacy, select the option you want:Private: Only you can view the playlist.Unlisted: Anyone with the link can view, but it’s not publicly searchable.Public: Anyone can find and view your playlist.
Private: Only you can view the playlist.
Unlisted: Anyone with the link can view, but it’s not publicly searchable.
Public: Anyone can find and view your playlist.
Tap Done or Save to confirm your choice.

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.

2) Review connected apps

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

3) Limit what you share

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

4) Use personal data removal services

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.

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5) Keep your software updated

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

Kurt’s key takeaways

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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