Netflix will launch a crackdown on password sharing in coming months, the streaming giant has officially confirmed.
The streamer, which boasts hugely popular shows like Wednesday, Squid Game and Stranger Things under its banner, will ban sharing accounts across multiple households. The warning from Netflix has confirmed the crackdown will begin in the first quarter of the year - either February or March.
From then, people hoping to share an account across multiple households will need to fork out an additional fee for the privilege. They have confirmed that people will still be able to access the streaming platform while travelling, Birmingham Mail reports.
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Netflix, in a report to shareholders, said: "While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognise this is a change for members who share their account more broadly. As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don’t live with.
“As we work through this transition – and as some borrowers stop watching either because they don’t convert to extra members or full paying accounts – near term engagement, as measured by third parties, like Nielsen’s The Gauge, could be negatively impacted.
“However, we believe the pattern will be similar to what we’ve seen in Latin America, with engagement growing over time as we continue to deliver a great slate of programming and borrowers sign-up for their own accounts.”
Netflix has not confirmed an exact date - but warned it will begin “later in Q1’23”. Netflix’s director of product innovation, Chengyi Long, explained: “Today’s widespread account sharing between households undermines our long term ability to invest in and improve our service.
“So we’ve been carefully exploring different ways for people who want to share their account to pay a bit more.” Earlier this year, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters predicted a backlash to the move.
Netflix is introducing the move as it tries to stave off a subscriber exodus. Mr Peters admitted the crackdown on shared passwords would “not be a universally popular move”.
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