Netflix Revealed The Plans to Prevent Password Sharing

Netflix has revealed its plans to stop password sharing between people in households outside of an account owner’s primary location.

As reported by gHacks, the streaming service has described how it strives to crack down on account sharing in an updated FAQ. The details vary between countries, but it looks like the company will be paying attention to the devices used to log in to accounts from now on.

The FAQ pages for US and UK subscribers currently highlight that devices may need verification if they are not associated with the Netflix household or if they try to access an account outside the subscriber’s primary location for an ample period of time.

The FAQ pages for countries where Netflix is checking out extra membership fees for account sharing have tweaked the rules. The Costa Rican Help Center states that devices must connect to the Wi-Fi at the primary location and watch something on Netflix “at least once every 31 days.”

The company will use details “such as IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity” to determine whether a device signed into an account is related to the primary location. A device may be blocked from watching Netflix if it’s supposed to fall outside of the household.

The amount of devices that can simultaneously access a Netflix account in one location corresponds with the subscription tier:

• Basic With Ads ($6.99 per Month): 1 Device
• Basic ($9.99 per Month): 1 Device
• Standard ($15.49 per Month): 2 Devices
• Premium ($19.99 per Month): 4 Devices

As further set out in the guidelines, if you are the primary account owner and you find yourself traveling between locations, you can request a temporary code to access Netflix for seven consecutive days. Alternatively, you can update your primary location if it has changed.

If subscribers want to share their Netflix account with someone who doesn’t live with them, they can add an extra member to their account. Members can also transfer a profile from a current account elsewhere,  them to keep their personalized data on another account.

The plan to convert “borrowers” – those who are currently using Netflix accounts that are owned by individual households – to paid subscribers is expected to roll out by the end of March, with the intro of account-sharing restrictions and extra member fees in more countries.