VPN Support

[andrew_ab]

Hey! I am getting my password reset since I've started using a VPN - NordVPN in particular. It is becoming extremely annoying. I know that the official position is no VPN support, but a "disable this layer" of security (aka annoying no-requested password reset) to VPN users would be appreciated.

Any thoughts?

Have a lovely day folks,

Andrés

[BabyEcho0_YT]

Hi, I'm Echo!

First, what VPN are you using?

[andrew_ab]

Hi, Echo! I added it to the post. NordVPN. 

[BabyEcho0_YT]

Thanks!

1. So you're saying that the VPN or perhaps something is making your
password rest, right?
2. Have you taken this to NordVPN support before coming here?
3. How long has this been going on?

[andrew_ab]

1. Yes, that is my best guess. Around 30 days later if starting using the VPN I began getting unwanted resets. Frequency around 15 days, lately weekly. 

I didn't even know auto reset was a "feature", and been using Spotify for years. 

2. No. What is the evidence of having any issue with the VPN provider?

3. Started using VPN ~ Nov. 10th 2023 and first reset ~ 12th Dic 2023.

Thanks, 

Andrés 

[AlejaR]

Hey @andrew_ab,

Thanks for posting in the Community and welcome.

We hope you don't mind us moving your post out of the ideas section to one of our Help boards as it fits better here.

Keep in mind Spotify doesn't officially support VPN. This means that issues with the app while using VPN are expected behavior. The app itself is not designed to work with a VPN. We suggest you switch your VPN service off or if possible, whitelist Spotify from it.

Take into account we cannot support VPN as it allows to change location. This will imply changes on licensing agreements and song copyrights, and those might vary from country to country. We can't influence those.

Hope this clears things up. If you have any questions or need a hand with anything else, we're always a post away.

[andrew_ab]

Hello Aleja,

Thank you for you message and clarification.

I understand what you say. I am not explicitly asking for VPN support, but rather that the consequences of that (which I expect it affects a small % of user) are not so inconvenient as a password reset from the UX perspective. A simple email "we got this suspicious, was this you?" email and click "yes" would be the same. Or lower the reset sensibility after the same anomalies, at what point it is understood that is expected behavior and all alarms are false positive?

I understand the security concern and would be okay with reseting my password if the case appropriate, but trigger false positive consistently deeply affects the experience. Not even a VPN user and traitor deserves that.

Andrés

[Maria]

Hey @andrew_ab,

Thanks for the reply and for raising your concerns!

We can confirm that VPNs can cause scenarios similar to the ones you're describing, as they can sometimes mask the real IP address and device that is being used to access your account. Usually, a VPN also switches between multiple IPs from different locations.

Some sites and services will either block common VPN IPs, or can be a reason to trigger security protocols, based on location and device access. This means that using a VPN can make the security system think that your account is being accessed by multiple unknown locations, which in turn would trigger an automated password reset to your account. We take security very seriously, and in order to avoid potential issues, we might reset an account's password.

If anything else appears, just let us know.

[Messi10sn]

Plan

Premium

Country

China（have VPN）

Device

Sony TV

Operating System

Android

My Question or Issue

When I press the start button, but there’s no music

[bryanchapmanmusic]

i like many many others use a VPN but i KEEP having to reset my password, your support are blaming the VPN on this 

as you are aware VPN help a users security and telling people its harming them is just a lie

the time this takes to fix and sort its beyond frustrating and is making me question paying and using Spotify

you are the only service that causes issues for VPN users and its unacceptable 

[26366879]

I from Netherland, I'm using Spotify Netherlands account in another country Ghana, can I redeem Netherlands Spotify gift card in another country by using VPN to change location to Netherland, I need help on this, because I'm planning to buy Spotify gift cards online 

[elgeeko]

Hey Spotify! I'm one of many who use a VPN at home and in public locations to securely access the internet. Why do you keep forcing me to reset my password? It's a pain to log in on all of my devices, and sometimes I have to re-download my playlists. I have to reconnect my services such as Last.fm.

Tidal, Qobuz and Roon don't have this problem.

I use a local VPN service in the same city in which I reside. My VPN at home is always on and never changes IP address. I'm the only person using my Spotify account. I use the same devices and don't login on others. Yet, every week or two, the dreaded "Spotify needs you to reset your password" email arrives.

I get that you need to prevent people from accessing licensed content from other countries, but your policies are overcorrecting and causing headaches for paying users who are compliant with your EULAs.

Please don't discriminate those of us who use VPNs for security and privacy. Consider the liability of providing a poor quality of experience on specific internet service providers.

Surely your own developers use Spotify, and also care about privacy and security and hence also use VPN services? What do they do?

[linkkers]

Read above. 

[matz1]

hostility towards vpns does more harm than good in terms of security, which is why pretty much all internet services(even privacy-invasive ones like google) warn users by mail, prompting them if they made the suspicious login instead if wasting everyone's time by continuesly disabling passwords.

please forward this to your development team, i can assure you that you'll be dealing with confused/annoyed customers as long as this keeps happening.