Netflix.Photo: Netflix
Netflix is cracking down on password sharing.
Some users who are suspected of borrowing account information have been asked to verify they are using their own account.
The user then has the option to have a verification code sent via text or email, or they can choose to “verify later,” though it’s unclear how long the verification can be put off.
The streamer confirmed the limited rollout of this new feature to PEOPLE on Thursday.
“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so,” a Netflix spokesperson said.
In the past, Netflix has said it looks the other way when it comes to password sharing. In 2016, CEO Reed Hastings said that users sharing their account information was a minor roadblock that they had to “learn to live with.”
“In terms of [password sharing], no plans on making any changes there,” Hastings said, perCNBC. “Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with, because there’s so much legitimate password sharing, like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids….so there’s no bright line, and we’re doing fine as is.”
At the time of publication, a basic Netflix plan — which costs $8.99 per month— only allows users to watch from one screen at a time. A standard plan, which is $13.99 per month, allows for two screens at a time, and a premium plan for $17.99 allows for four screens simultaneously.
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So far, there are no guidelines on the number of devices or locations a user can be signed in from.
Other streaming platforms have taken a similar hands-off approach when it comes to password sharing, including HBO — though WarnerMedia did note it has taken password sharing into account and pricing may fluctuate to reflect that.
“I think the industry has an issue… I don’t think we’re going to get to a punitive environment [like the music industry], lawsuits being filed against folks, but I do believe the technology’s starting to get better to start paying attention to extensive abuse,” CEO John Stankey said in 2019, perIGN. “When we see 14 locations logged into HBO on a Sunday night with 16 different streams going, we’re aware of those things. As growth taps out, I think the industry will come up with a method that’s a bit more rigorous.”
source: people.com
