LOS ANGELES, California – The days to share your Netflix account with friends and extended family can be counted. The streaming giant seems to be running a test that prevents password sharing.
As reported for the first time by The Streamable, a select number of Netflix users began receiving a message this week asking them to check their accounts via email or text. If they cannot, they are asked to open their own account through a free 30-day trial period.
“If you do not live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to continue viewing,” the message reads, according to screenshots. It is not yet clear whether users need to be on the same IP address to be considered in the same household.
Earlier this week, some Netflix subscribers began to notice that it might be a little harder to “borrow” someone’s password. Http://t.co/ZN3GTECdKR pic.twitter.com/uMucB4C43l
– Michelle Manafy (@michellemanafy) March 12, 2021
Netflix commented on the crackdown in a statement, saying, “This test is designed to ensure that people who use Netflix accounts are allowed to do so.”
Although it is now common to share passwords with others, especially during a pandemic, Netflix’s terms of use explicitly state that its service and any of its content “are for personal, non-commercial use only and may not be shared with others. from outside your house. ”
Netflix has been the king of streaming for years, but with the advent of more and more platforms, customers have to choose which services to pay for next, and the company is probably trying to maintain its dominance in the market.
A survey conducted by the research company Magid found that about a third of subscribers to platforms such as Netflix share their password with someone outside their household. With so many paid services, people often share the burden, each paying a few and sharing their bills.
As for Netflix prices, after a 30-day trial period, you can pay $ 8.99 a month for the streamer’s “basic” plan, where only one screen can stream at a time. The next “standard” plan costs $ 13.99 a month, and Netflix can be streamed on two screens at once. The company’s premium plan costs $ 17.99 per month and four screens can be played simultaneously.