QR check or block: Spotify tightens rules for family subscriptions
Spotify is tightening the rules for the premium family subscription. The streaming service takes action against account sharing with dynamic QR code verification. Anyone who fails the test faces a one-year ban on shared tariffs.
Spotify checks the place of residence
Spotify is currently testing a new method to curb unauthorized sharing of premium family subscriptions. If requested, plan members must provide proof that they live in the same household as the primary manager of the account. To do this, the app asks some users to scan a special QR code. The code is generated on the account holder’s smartphone and must be captured by the member being verified using their own cell phone camera. Both people must be in the same place for the process. To prevent a simple redirect via screenshot, the code updates every few seconds. After receiving the request, those affected have a window of seven days to complete the review.
Spotify Family Plan crackdown?
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There is a risk of a twelve-month ban
According to the Support pages of the streaming service, the consequences are severe if it fails. Anyone who misses the seven-day deadline or is unable to complete the scan will automatically be downgraded to the ad-supported free version. Spotify also imposes a twelve-month ban on joining another family or duo subscription. Affected users are still able to take out an individual premium tariff at their own expense. The streaming provider also applies the same one-year ban if the traditional verification of the reported residential address fails.
Users find the first gaps
user Reddit are already reporting on ways to circumvent the local attendance requirement. They share the account manager’s screen live on another device via video calls. The removed member then scans the code from the second monitor. When Spotify introduced the Premium Family subscription in 2014, the plan was intended exclusively for people who live together.
The company has been trying to prevent account sharing across households for several years. In 2018, Spotify tested a location check using GPS in Germany, among other places, but this led to criticism due to data protection concerns. The provider currently emphasizes that the system does not record users’ locations, but only verifies the addresses.
Priti Rajpoot is a technology journalist and contributor at ResearchSnipers, covering the latest in tech news, innovation, and digital trends across the world. From startups and AI to cybersecurity and consumer gadgets. She can be reached here: priti.r@researchsnipers.com
