Streaming giant Netflix unveiled new anti-password sharing measures, which might make it harder for frequent travelers to access their accounts.
According to The Streamable, Netflix accounts will soon only be shareable between household members, with the streaming giant reportedly planning to implement changes to its password system. Users will be asked to register their devices to their accounts by using the Netflix app or website to connect to the network associated with their primary location. Netflix will additionally require users to use the streaming service on their registered device at least once every 31 days or risk having their device removed from their account.
The new system will reportedly block users who attempt to log in to an account from an unregistered device and instead direct them to a prompt for a new Netflix subscription. Users who attempt to operate their device outside of their registered primary location may also find themselves blocked from Netflix's service. The streaming giant stated that it recognized how heavy travelers could subsequently be unable to access their accounts because of the new system. As a preemptive measure, Netflix revealed users may request a temporary code from its service when signing in, which will provide them with temporary access to their account for a full week on their chosen device.
Netflix Cracks Down
A letter from Netflix previously confirmed it intended to implement the system within the first quarter of 2023, with a staggered rollout that would be steadily applied to countries over the course of the following quarters. While the streaming giant admitted that some users will likely cancel their subscriptions because of the new system, Netflix believed the password-sharing crackdown will increase revenue for the company in the long term.
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters additionally claimed the company was still attempting to meet its users' needs with the introduction of a cheaper ad-supported subscription tier. "Some of it is economically driven. Part of what we're trying to do is make sure that we are being responsive to that and finding the right price points, whether in terms of the individual account or an extra member affordance," he said. "And obviously, the ad-supported plans give us a lower consumer-faced pricing in those countries where we have advertising."
Peters also stated that Netflix's new system was formulated as a countermeasure against users who didn't want to pay for the service. He continued, "Part of it is what we call casual sharing, which is people could pay, but they don't need to and so they're borrowing somebody's account. So our job is to give them a little bit of a nudge and to create features that make transitioning to their own account easy and simple."
Source: The Streamable