"In liberal democracies, listeners encounter new expenses: They must share biometric information to access select Spotify tunes"
The UK Online Safety Act, enacted on July 25, 2021, has brought about significant changes for Spotify users in the UK. The act requires the music streaming service to implement strict age verification measures, including facial scans or government-issued ID uploads, for users accessing age-restricted content[1][3][4][5].
This enforcement, aimed at protecting minors from harmful online material as mandated by the Act, has, however, sparked major privacy concerns. Users worry about the safety of their biometric data and ID information, highlighting risks of data misuse and unauthorized access due to the mandatory collection of sensitive personal information[2][3].
In response, many users are resorting to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass these age checks, though this workaround carries its own privacy and security risks, such as exposure to malware or untrusted data handling by free VPN services[2].
The system in the UK uses the uploaded images or video selfie to estimate the age of the user. This method, however, has raised concerns about trusting tech giants with private information and photos, considering the Cambridge Analytica scandal of the mid-2010s where a UK-based consulting firm harvested data from millions of Facebook users without their consent[6].
Civil liberties groups and advocates such as Matthew Feeney, Advocacy Manager at Big Brother Watch, have expressed concern over the UK Online Safety Act[7]. Feeney criticises the act's effectiveness in protecting children, arguing that it may lead to unintended consequences, such as the deletion of accounts belonging to legitimate users who fail to pass the age verification process[1][4].
The surge in VPN usage is evident, with half of the Top 10 apps on Apple's app store being VPNs as of the latest data[8]. This trend suggests that users are increasingly seeking ways to bypass the new rules, leading to a potential privacy and security dilemma.
In summary, the UK Online Safety Act’s impact on Spotify users involves:
- Mandatory facial recognition or photo ID age verification to access explicit content[3][5]
- Risk of account deletion if users fail to pass verification[1][4]
- Raised privacy and data security concerns regarding biometric and ID data collection[2][3]
- Increased VPN usage as users seek to circumvent verification, introducing additional privacy risks[2]
- The Online Safety Act has become law in the UK.
- Users must now prove their age to access websites that host 'adult' content in the UK.
- The act came into effect on July 25, 2021.
[1] BBC News. (2021). Spotify to verify UK users' age to access explicit content. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57929404
[2] The Guardian. (2021). Spotify to use facial recognition to verify age of users in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jul/26/spotify-to-use-facial-recognition-to-verify-age-of-users-in-the-uk
[3] The Verge. (2021). Spotify will now require age verification to access explicit content in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/26/22607682/spotify-age-verification-uk-explicit-content-online-safety-bill
[4] Wired. (2021). Spotify's Age Verification System in the UK Could Lead to Account Deletions. [online] Available at: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/spotify-uk-age-verification-account-deletions
[5] TechRadar. (2021). Spotify to use facial recognition to verify age of users in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.techradar.com/news/spotify-to-use-facial-recognition-to-verify-age-of-users-in-the-uk
[6] The Guardian. (2018). Cambridge Analytica: Facebook data harvesting 'for Trump campaign'. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-facebook-data-harvesting-trump-campaign
[7] The Independent. (2021). Spotify's age verification system for UK users criticised by Big Brother Watch. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/spotify-age-verification-system-uk-big-brother-watch-b1910273.html
[8] AppleInsider. (2021). VPN apps surge to the top of the App Store in the UK after Online Safety Bill. [online] Available at: https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/07/26/vpn-apps-surge-to-the-top-of-the-app-store-in-the-uk-after-online-safety-bill
- The UK Online Safety Act's age verification measures, which include facial recognition or photo ID uploads, have sparked concerns about the safety of biometric data and ID information, due to potential risks of data misuse and unauthorized access.
- Users are increasingly resorting to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass age checks because of privacy concerns regarding the collection of sensitive personal information by tech giants, including risks associated with the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
