Published Date : 7/31/2025Â
Spotify has implemented age assurance measures in the form of facial age estimation and ID verification with face biometrics, both provided by Yoti, to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA). This move aims to ensure that users accessing certain content, such as 18+ music videos, meet the required age criteria.
Users who are not estimated to be 18 years of age or older will have the option to complete age verification using an ID scan and selfie biometrics. If they fail to confirm their age with the system, their account will face deactivation and eventual deletion. However, users have 90 days to reactivate their account and go through the verification process with an ID document.
Spotify does not require users to complete age assurance to use the app, but rather when they access certain content or features, such as 18+ music videos labeled by rightsholders. Once an age check is triggered, users must prove they are at least 13 years old to comply with Spotify’s age minimum.
Yoti reported a significant increase in traffic, growing by 25 percent when the OSA took effect. Similarly, OneID has seen a surge in age checks, with over a million per day and more than 2 million new users signing up for the service. The rollout of age verification technology is being seen as a real-world test of its resilience, reliability, and user security.
The number of age checks each day has increased by 5 million, according to figures from the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA). However, not all sites are complying with the OSA. Ofcom has opened investigations into 34 pornographic websites operated by four companies for allegedly failing to comply with their age checking responsibilities.
Virtual private network (VPN) use has also spiked as people in the UK attempt to bypass age checks. Four VPN apps are in the top five for free downloads from the Apple App Store, with Proton, the most popular, reporting a 1,800 percent increase in downloads.
Civil society advocates and members of the public have expressed concerns about the implementation of the OSA. The Consumer Choice Center warns of a “global cost” to the OSA, citing the increase in VPN use and a data breach at the dating app Tea, where selfies and photos of government-issued ID documents were compromised.
The Tea breach highlights the risks of “hard identity verification,” but it also underscores the importance of data security practices. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) refers to the Tea breach, arguing that the proliferation of age assurance laws increases the risk of such breaches, which can endanger privacy, safety, and dignity.
Despite these concerns, the UK government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is working closely with Ofcom to implement the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to protect UK users.
A petition demanding the government repeal the OSA has surpassed 455,000 signatures, far beyond the 100,000 necessary to trigger consideration for a debate in parliament. The government’s response remains firm, emphasizing the importance of the OSA in protecting online safety.Â
Q: What is the Online Safety Act (OSA)?
A: The Online Safety Act (OSA) is a UK law designed to protect users, especially children, from harmful content online. It requires online services to implement age verification measures and other safety measures to ensure compliance with age restrictions and content guidelines.
Q: How does Yoti's age verification work?
A: Yoti's age verification uses facial age estimation and ID verification with face biometrics. It estimates the user's age through facial recognition and confirms the age by scanning an ID document and matching it with a selfie.
Q: What happens if a user fails to verify their age on Spotify?
A: If a user fails to verify their age, their account will be deactivated. They will have 90 days to reactivate their account and complete the verification process with an ID document.
Q: Why has there been a surge in VPN use in the UK?
A: The surge in VPN use in the UK is primarily due to people attempting to bypass age verification checks imposed by the Online Safety Act. This allows them to access restricted content without going through the verification process.
Q: What is the main concern raised by civil society advocates about the OSA?
A: Civil society advocates are concerned about the potential risks to privacy and data security, as well as the effectiveness of age verification measures. They argue that the implementation of the OSA could lead to data breaches and increased use of VPNs to circumvent the law.Â