Farewell, Netflix password sharing. Never again will an ex feel the sting of being locked out of your account

‘Sharing a TV streaming platform with my dad has been a small means of me checking in (OK, spying) on him.’ Photograph: agefotostock/Alamy

I used to watch an unhealthy amount of TV. A minimum of 24 shows per week for the best part of two years, to be precise, when I worked on the Guardian’s TV desk.

As part of the job, I had access to new television series ahead of time and bought subscriptions to all the streaming services. Word soon spread through my friendship groups and family WhatsApps: “Ammar has all the new TV shows.” Passwords soon followed.