Netflix has announced its plans to crack down on password sharing and revealed how it will impact viewers in the US. The company will now charge users extra to keep additional people on their accounts.
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For Netflix subscribers in the US with the Standard plan, which costs $15.49 per month, an option is available to add one extra member who can use the service outside of their household. However, this will come at an additional cost of $7.99 per month. Subscribers with the Premium package, which offers 4K streaming, can add up to two extra members, but each one will incur the same additional fee of $7.99. The United Kingdom will also implement these new rules, with Netflix charging subscribers £4.99 per month for extra member slots.
Subscribers on Netflix’s Basic or Standard plans with Ads, priced at $9.99 and $6.99 per month, respectively, will not have the option to add extra members to their accounts.
Netflix subscribers in the US who share the service “outside their household” will receive an email detailing the company’s password-sharing policies, as mentioned in a blog post.
Netflix has been experimenting with paid password sharing for some time now. In February, it expanded its tests to Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. The crackdown on password sharing was initially planned for the US at the beginning of this year but was postponed to April.
According to a support page outlining the new policy, “extra members” will have their own passwords and profiles, paid for by the inviting account holder. However, these accounts will have certain limitations. They must be activated in the same country, can only stream or download content on one device at a time, and cannot create additional profiles or access Kids profiles.
Netflix determines a household based on where Netflix is being watched on a TV and the corresponding IP address of the device. Users have the option to reset their household location through the TV app or a device connected to the TV. This process involves confirming or updating the household and responding to a verification link sent to the account’s listed email address or phone number.
Netflix’s stance on password sharing has evolved over time. In March 2017, the company tweeted, “Love is sharing a password,” a sentiment it no longer holds. Since early 2022, Netflix has been testing methods to discourage password sharing and encourage individuals to pay for their own accounts when accessing Netflix outside of the account owner’s household.
