Spotify's New Age Verification System Could Cost You Your Account

Spotify plans to start restricting some content on its streaming platform, the company announced in an updated support post this week. Chief among the changes is the introduction of an automated age check, which will scan your face and try to determine your age when you access age-restricted content like explicit songs, music videos, and more.

This move is just one in an ongoing move by big tech to protect younger audiences online, all of which have been spurred forward thanks to new legislation in the U.K. While most of the focus has fallen on pornography sites, X, Reddit, and other social media that allows for adult content, Spotify and other services are also being pulled into the fray. The new support post outlines the full process, including what can happen if you don't use the system.

We've also seen that Google is adding AI-powered age verification to its platforms, which will limit the kind of content users are able to access across the board. The distressing part of Spotify's system, though, is that if the age check system determines you don't meet the minimum age requirements for the market you're in, your account could be deactivated and eventually deleted. As with any system that forces users to identify themselves, many have lashed out about Spotify's move on Reddit and other platforms.

If you want to avoid running into issues with your Spotify account, you'll want to first ensure you meet the minimum age requirements for your region. Most regions require Spotify users to be at least 13 years of age. To verify ages, Spotify has partnered with Yoti, which allows users to scan their face directly on their device. It then uses algorithms to estimate your age.

If you fail the scan for any reason — meaning the system determines you aren't the correct age to use Spotify or it can't complete the scan — you'll be forced to verify your age using your ID. If you decline that option, your Spotify account will be deactivated. As such, the only real option you have if you want to keep streaming music is to go through the process. The company says that if you don't verify your age, you'll have 90 days after deactivation to complete the process and reactivate your Spotify account. After 90 days, though, if the company cannot confirm your age, your account will be permanently deleted within 7 days.

Both Spotify and Yoti claim that the data will be kept safe, but with the frequency of high-profile data breaches (like a massive data breach of 16 billion logins earlier this year), it's no wonder people are worried about being forced to use a digital ID system and hand even more personal information over to the internet. Even TikTok's ID verification system was breached last year, revealing images of driver's licenses online.