Spotify introduces QR code checks for Family plan members
Music streaming service Spotify has begun asking some Premium Family members to prove, by scanning a QR code, that they live with the plan manager. The company calls it a routine improvement to its verification, not a crackdown.
Music streaming service Spotify is rolling out a new verification system to check whether Premium Family plan members really live at the same address as the person managing the plan. The check works through a QR code scan and affects users who share a family plan but live apart, a common way of splitting subscription costs with relatives or friends.
How the check works
According to a Spotify support page, the company may ask a member to confirm they live with the plan manager by scanning such a code. The request arrives as a notification, and the user then has seven days to complete the scan. If they don't, they may be locked out and barred from joining another Family or Duo plan for a year. Alternatively, they can sign up for their own Premium subscription.
An individual plan costs $13 a month, compared with $22 for a family plan that covers up to six accounts.
Attempts to get around it
Spotify has tried to stop people from using screenshots to get past the scan when members live far apart. Reddit users claimed the codes refresh every few seconds, though some suggested they managed to scan them remotely by using video calls on extra devices.
The company's explanation
Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström said on Thursday's earnings call that this is less a crackdown than a routine improvement of verification methods for the Family Plan. He noted that the plan has existed for roughly 12 to 13 years and makes up a significant share of the subscriber base. According to him, holes are found over time, so the company will keep improving its methods, and the process has no end date.
