Spotify is rolling out a new way to stop people from sharing their Family plans outside of the same household. Instead of just relying on location data, the streaming service is now testing out QR code verification.
According to Spotify’s ‘support page via 9to5Google, members of a Family plan might get a pop-up asking them to prove they live with the plan manager by scanning a QR code. The whole process is pretty straightforward: the plan manager pulls up the QR code on their phone by heading to their profile picture, tapping Your Premium, and then Manage. From there, the other member simply scans it with their phone camera.
The catch is that both people need to be in the exact same room to complete the scan. Spotify gives users a seven-day window to sort this out once the prompt appears. If you miss that deadline, you cannot join a different Family or Duo plan for a whole year, though you can still sign up for your own individual subscription, or you will automatically get bumped down to the free tier as soon as the clock runs out.
Despite it looking a lot like a crackdown, Spotify co-executive Alex Norström downplayed the change according to TechCrunch, calling it a routine improvement rather than a severe clampdown.
He noted that the Family plan has been around for over a decade and makes up a massive chunk of their subscriber base, so fine-tuning the verification methods over time just helps plug any holes that people have found ways around.