LOS ANGELES, California – The days to share your Netflix account with friends and family may be numbered. The streaming giant appears to be running a test to combat password sharing.
As reported by The Streamable for the first time, a select number of Netflix users began receiving a message this week asking them to verify their accounts by email or text. If they cannot, they will be asked to start their own account with a 30-day free trial.
“If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to continue watching,” says the message, according to the images. It is still unclear whether users need to be on the same IP address to be considered in the same home.
Earlier this week, some Netflix subscribers began to notice that it can be a little harder to “borrow” someone’s password.https: //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 help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.”
While it is now common to share passwords with others, especially during the pandemic, Netflix’s terms of use explicitly state that its service and any part of its content “are for personal, non-commercial use only and cannot be shared with people outside your home . “
Netflix has been the king of streaming for years, but with more and more platforms emerging, customers are having to choose which services to keep paying and the company is probably trying to keep its domain in the market.
A survey by research firm Magid found that about a third of subscribers to platforms like Netflix share their passwords with someone outside their home. With so many services to pay, people often share the burden, each paying for some and sharing their bills with each other.
As for Netflix prices, after a 30-day trial, you can pay $ 8.99 a month for the “basic” streamer plan, where only one screen can be broadcast at a time. The next “standard” plan costs $ 13.99 a month and Netflix can be broadcast on two screens at the same time. The company’s “premium” plan costs $ 17.99 a month and four screens can be streamed at the same time.