ANTI-SPOTIFY AI BOYCOTT SURVIVAL KIT
Attention everyone!!! While we are all rightfully upset that YouTube is implementing an AI age verification system, it is not the only site doing this. Other sites like Reddit, Twitter / X, Spotify, etc. are doing the same. And as more days pass, more sites that we love using will follow. One day, Tumblr will be forced to use an AI age verification system. That will be a dark day, indeed. But for the sake of this post, I'll be focusing on how you can boycott Spotify until this is over. I am warning you, if you're planning to boycott Spotify or are intrigued by the idea, you'll need to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. We are talking potentially weeks, months, years, and maybe forever. Boycotting does not last one day; it needs to be big enough and last long enough for the companies to realize that they made a mistake. The Civil Rights Bus Boycott didn't last one day; it took a little over a year (381 days) before there was change. If you are ready to boycott AI age-using platforms, and potentially the government, then I put together a list of alternatives you can use while you boycott Spotify.
Before we begin, I'll answer this question: Have any podcast platforms been hit?
Popular podcasting platforms like Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Transistor, Simplecast, Speaker, and Acast have not made any public announcement saying they'll use AI age verification. But keep your eyes peeled for any announcements or suspicious updated terms of service.
Spotify Alternatives
1. Soundiiz (and SSDs or HDDs)
These are not music platforms, but rather a way for you to transfer your playlists from one service to another. Soundiiz does have an AI tool, but that's more geared toward making playlists for you "based on your tastes". I'd still be wary of it, though. If you want something more reliable, I recommend using SSDs or HDDs for transferring your Spotify playlists.
2. MediaMonkey
I'd like to thank @grubcats for bringing this site to my attention! MediaMonkey is a program for Windows and Android where you can store and play your transferred songs and playlists. The reviews I've seen so far are positive.
3. SoundCloud
Users must be 18 years or older in the United States and 16 in the UK to make an account on this site. If you're younger than that (13 is the minimum age), you'll need parental permission. According to the official Account Policy, if they "receive reports" that a user is underage, they'll remove the account and notify the owner. The owner must "provide us evidence that they are over 18 or they have parental permission". This doesn't automatically mean "hand over your ID!", but it's pretty vague and somewhat fishy.
4. Beatsource
This music streaming service is catered to DJ music and DJ artists, and also a way to contact and hire them. From what I can tell, it doesn't use AI age verification. However, I'm getting conflicting results on whether its parent company, Beatport, is using an AI age verification. Its TOS policy doesn't mention it.
5. Pandora
Do you guys remember Pandora? It was essentially Spotify before Spotify was a thing, and it was basically a personalized radio. Pandora analyzes the music you listen to to give you a more personalized playlist using an AI program. It's not using an AI age verification yet, though.
6. CDs???
I know I definitely sound like an old man now, and this only pertains to people who still have playable CDs and a working old CD player lying around. But if you're feeling extra nostalgic? That might be it.
Bonus suggestion - Rhythm Games
Rhythm games, especially the bigger ones, have a whole library of songs you can play. And most have a replay feature, so you can play the music without having to break your fingers doing a hard level. Some of my personal favorite rhythm games off the top of my head are:
Deemo (it's a series)
Muse Dash
Geometry Dash (Geometry Dash Lite is the free version)
Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage
If you guys have any Rhythm Game suggestions, please list them in your reblogs or comments! We need as many good suggestions as possible!
If you are musically adept, you can also make music of your own and share it with others. Heck, write songs protesting AI age verification, KOSA, etc., if you want to, and post them everywhere! It's your voice and your right to use that voice!
The biggest thing in this list and on this post, however, is to get the attention of big creators, politicians, and courts. If you want this boycott to end faster, we need to spread the word around. A one-day protest and a petition against YouTube specifically won't change anything. If you want change, you'll need to message the senators (don't harass or spam them!!!). If you want change, you'll need to share this in non-English speaking spaces; people outside America probably don't know this is happening. If you want change, you'll need to let your friends and family know about this, your local businesses, your teacher, your college professor, your boss, your mayor (don't harass or spam them!!!). If you want change, you'll need to protest and demonstrate publicly and openly. Don't do anything dangerous!!! Educate yourselves and the general public on KOSA, the Screen Act, COPPA 2.0, and similar acts like it, why we oppose it, and why they should oppose it too. Tell them who wants these laws passed, who this benefits from them, and tell them why. Offer easier and safer solutions to KOSA.
"If you oppose the Kids Online Safety Act, you don't want children to be safe!" "No. It's up to the parents to monitor what their children are listening to, not trillion-dollar companies and governments."
"You're just upset you won't be able to listen to NSFW music." "No. We all have varied musical tastes. I should not have to constantly listen to "adult-sounding" songs to avoid Spotify flagging me as a child or worry while I'm listening to "child-sounding" songs for Spotify to flag me as a child."
"What's so bad about giving Spotify or other platforms your ID or selfie?" "If Spotify gets hacked, my ID might get stolen. Have you ever heard of the Tea Incident? The incident happened this year involving an app called Tea. It was supposed to be a women's-only dating app and safe space where women helped give dating advice to other women, including tips on whether a guy was giving red flags, and you needed to give your personal information if you wanted to register. Unfortunately, on July 25th, the app suffered a security breach, which exposed 13,000 selfies and photo identification documents used for account verification. It also exposed over 1.1 million private direct messages between users, with a lot of them leaked all over 4Chan and Twitter.
“But that was Tea. Spotify's security is much better!” "While there hasn't been a massive data breach so far, users have reported unauthorized access and account takeovers. The site also suffered an outage this year, but the company denies any hacking. And with the company happily touting that it's requiring its users to hand over personal information, it only gives hackers a bigger incentive.” Here's an article talking about the outage: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spotify-down-not-working-downdetector/
"What happens if Spotify's AI believes you're a minor?" "If Spotify's AI system suspects you're under the minimum age of 13, it will deactivate and eventually delete your account."
"If it's not for the children, who does it benefit?" "AI corporations, Online verification companies, and politicians who want the government to monitor internet users.”
"Are there other sites doing this, or just Spotify?" "So far, YouTube, Spotify, Reddit, Twitter / X, and Discord are implementing AI age verification systems on their platforms. Dailymotion, TikTok, BlueSky, LinkedIn, Threads, and Instagram are planning to use AI age verification systems in the near future. If nothing is done about this, more social media companies will be forced to do the same."
I implore all who read this:
Please boycott Spotify for more than a day. Be prepared to boycott for years
Please cancel whatever subscriptions you have
Please boycott other sites that are using AI age verification (be vigilant, do research)
Review-bomb any app that uses or plans to use AI Age verification, as well as their parent companies (for example, the people who hold the most significant ownership over Spotify and have the most voting power are its co-founders, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon)
Please convince more people to boycott Spotify and other sites
Please spread the word beyond Tumblr and Reddit. Translate your anti-Spotify AI and anti-KOSA posts and post them on non-English speaking sites or forums
Please educate yourself and the people around you. This is not just a violation of our online freedom. This is a violation of our right to privacy and our right to free speech. This is a violation of our First and Ninth Amendment rights. Again, research and tell people about KOSA, the Screen Act, and COPPA 2.0. These are the laws that are making Spotify do this
Please look up and spread awareness about Spotify's and other platforms’ data breaches, not just online, but with the general public as well. Show that these platforms are not ready to house your government information.
And please contact senators you know who oppose these laws and might help repeal them. Don't harass them, please, and do background checks on them. I don't want this movement to go up in flames because a senator who opposes this law is a confirmed predator.
THE FASTER WE END THESE LAWS, THE FASTER WE'LL GET TO USE SPOTIFY AGAIN