Spotify adds QR-code checks to curb remote sharing of Family plan
Spotify is introducing random QR-code verification for Premium Family accounts, requiring users to prove they live at the same address.
Spotify has begun enforcing new location checks on its Premium Family subscription, which allows up to six users under one roof for €21.24 per month. The company will periodically require each member to scan a QR code that refreshes every few seconds via the mobile app, making screenshots ineffective. Users must complete the scan within seven days, or their plan will be terminated and they will be reverted to the free, ad-supported version, barred from rejoining any Family or Duo plan for a year.
The verification aims chiefly at accounts shared across different households. This follows earlier attempts, such as a 2018 GPS test that was later withdrawn, and mirrors similar policies adopted by Netflix and Disney+. French lawmakers Mickaël Bouloux and Pierrick Courbon have introduced a bill to limit such consumer-impacting measures.
