Spotify Uses Yoti for Age Verification to Meet UK Online Safety Act Require

Published Date : 7/31/2025 

Spotify has integrated Yoti's facial age estimation and ID verification to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act. Users not estimated to be 18 or older will need to verify their age with an ID scan and selfie biometrics to avoid account deactivation. 

Spotify has implemented age assurance 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 ensures that users accessing certain content or features, such as 18+ music videos, meet the required age thresholds.

Users who are not estimated to be 18 years of age or older will have the option to complete age verification with an ID scan and selfie biometrics. Those who are unable to confirm their age with the system will face account deactivation, and eventually deletion. However, if an inaccurate age estimation occurs and the user does not proceed with verification, the account will be deactivated, but the user will have 90 days to reactivate it and go through verification with an ID document.

Spotify does not require users to complete age assurance to use the app. However, if they access certain content or features, such as music videos labeled as 18+ by rightsholders, an age check will be triggered. Once an age check is initiated, the user will have to prove they are at least 13 years old to comply with Spotify’s age minimum.

Age Assurance Checks Surge, Along with VPN Use and Investigations

Yoti reported a 25 percent increase in traffic when the OSA took effect last Friday and the following day. Similarly, the number of age checks OneID is carrying out has surged to a million per day, with more than 2 million new users signing up for the service. OneID describes the rollout of age verification technology as a real-world test of its resilience, reliability, and security.

The number of age checks each day has increased by 5 million, according to figures from the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) Executive Director Iain Corby, as reported by The Guardian. However, not all sites are complying with the OSA. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has opened investigations into 34 pornographic websites operated by four companies for allegedly failing to comply with their age checking responsibilities.

Ofcom also has ongoing investigations into a suicide discussion forum, 4Chan, seven file-sharing services, a pornographer, and a “nudify” site operator. 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.

Breach Fears and Demand for Repeal

Civil society advocates and members of the public are expressing concerns about the OSA. The Consumer Choice Center warns of a “global cost” to the OSA, citing the increase in VPN use and a recent data breach at the “dating safety” app Tea. The breach, which included selfies and photos of government-issued ID documents, highlights some of the serious challenges presented by age verification online.

The Tea breach illustrates the risk of “hard identity verification,” according to the Consumer Choice Center’s Head of Emerging Technology Policy, James Czerniawski. However, he avoids mentioning that unlike Tea, online service providers typically do not store the data collected for third-party age checks, or that some methods accepted by Ofcom do not involve identity verification.

The Consumer Choice Center’s UK Country Associate, Mike Salem, predicts that authorities may soon discuss banning VPNs. James Czerniawski suggests that if the government wants to have a positive impact in keeping kids safe online, it should enforce existing laws already on the books, referring to laws other than those concerning age restrictions for access to goods and services.

The Center for Democracy & Technology also refers to the Tea breach, which CDT’s Kate Ruane says will become the norm due to the proliferation of age assurance laws around the world. “When apps collect sensitive identifying information like users’ images or drivers’ licenses to comply with age verification laws, they risk this kind of breach, which endangers privacy, safety, and dignity,” Ruane argues.

However, the Tea breach was enabled by the startup breaking its commitments to delete user verification data and storing it insecurely, which has sparked two class-action lawsuits. If people using age assurance software make the same mistakes, lawsuits will follow.

Meanwhile, 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 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has responded, stating that the government has no plans to repeal the OSA and is working closely with Ofcom to implement the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit from its protections. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the purpose of age verification on Spotify?

A: Age verification on Spotify is required to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act. It ensures that users accessing certain content or features, such as 18+ music videos, meet the required age thresholds.

Q: What happens if a user is not estimated to be 18 or older?

A: If a user is not estimated to be 18 or older, they will have the option to complete age verification with an ID scan and selfie biometrics. If they are unable to confirm their age, their account will face deactivation and eventual deletion.

Q: How has the implementation of the Online Safety Act affected age checks?

A: The implementation of the Online Safety Act has led to a significant increase in age checks. Yoti and OneID have reported substantial traffic growth, and the number of age checks each day has increased by 5 million.

Q: What are the concerns raised by civil society advocates regarding the OSA?

A: Civil society advocates are concerned about the global cost of the OSA, the increase in VPN use, and the risk of data breaches. They argue that these issues can endanger privacy, safety, and dignity.

Q: What is the current status of the petition to repeal the OSA?

A: 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. However, the government has no plans to repeal the OSA and is working with Ofcom to implement it effectively. 

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