Streaming giant Spotify has begun an active fight against users who share the cost of family and couple subscriptions with friends or acquaintances. The platform will now require Family and Duo plan members to physically prove that they live with the account owner.
Streaming giant Spotify has begun an active fight against users who share the cost of family and couple subscriptions with friends or acquaintances. The platform will now require Family and Duo plan members to physically prove that they live with the account owner.
Family plan members have started receiving notifications asking them to scan a QR code in the Spotify app. The main feature is that this code is displayed exclusively on the phone of the plan organizer (subscriber).
The developers have anticipated attempts to bypass the system remotely. The code changes every few seconds, so simply sending a screenshot via messenger or email will not work - the procedure must be carried out in person, "live."
You have 7 days to confirm. If the participant does not have time to scan the code, they will automatically be transferred to the free plan (Free).
Users who lose access due to lack of verification will not be able to join another paid family or couple plan for a year. They will only be able to purchase an individual subscription or return to the same account.
Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström calls these changes “routine improvements to our review systems,” not a total cleanup.
"The family plan has been around for about 12-13 years and represents a significant portion of our subscriber base. Over time, loopholes appear to circumvent the rules, and our goal is to gradually improve verification methods," Norström noted.
The new restrictions have sparked outrage among subscribers. The company did not take into account situations where members of the same family live separately or are on long business trips or abroad. If a verification notification arrives during a trip, the user risks losing their premium access simply because they cannot physically meet the plan owner for a week.
It is not yet known whether Spotify will offer additional verification mechanisms for such situations.
