Netflix Password-Sharing: Streaming Service Reveals New Rules

Measures the streaming company could employ to stop people from sharing accounts

Recently, there have been many sudden cancellations of shows causing a loss of subscriber trust for Netflix. However, the company seems to be disregarding this and is still moving forward with its plan to enforce restrictions on password sharing, as revealed on Wednesday.

Netflix password-sharing rules

To cut a long story short, a user cannot share passwords with someone who doesn’t live in their household. They need to verify devices in the same household. For that, a person must connect to the Wi-Fi at a central location and watch something at least once a month.

If someone signs in to a user’s account on an unknown device not associated with a household, the account’s owner must verify it with a four-digit code, which will be sent to the account owner’s email. They must do it within a 15-minute time limit.

Netflix updated the Help Centre page and specified this about password sharing, “To ensure uninterrupted access to Netflix, connect to the Wi-Fi at your primary location, open the Netflix app or website, and watch something at least once every 31 days. This creates a trusted device so you can watch Netflix, even when you’re away from your primary location.”

The streaming service also specified that “Netflix will not automatically charge you if you share your account with someone who doesn’t live with you.” However, the company didn’t clarify what will happen if a user does share their account with someone else. Blocking the account is a possibility if there is excessive password sharing.

What will happen if a user has to travel a lot and want to watch something when they are outside the primary location? That hasn’t also been answered yet. However, the page does mention that a user must re-verify the device if they are away for more than seven days.

These new password sharing rules are a risk for Netflix as the users might switch to another streaming service provider that doesn’t care if the password is shared between multiple people. If that happens, the company will lose a lot of subscribers in a short time. The streamer has 230 million subscribers across the world. Last month, it stated that account sharing “undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve Netflix.”

The announcement of the potential changes has upset users. Many have voiced their objections on social media, highlighting the fact that Netflix once promoted or at least turned a blind eye to password sharing. On March 10, 2017, the company tweeted, “Love is sharing a password.”