Netflix will reportedly crack down on password sharing among all users later this year following the company’s error in posting a set of guidelines regarding password sharing termination earlier this month.
According to Reuters, Netflix has already outlined plans on ending password sharing outside of families or those who do not live in the same households, as it will be obligatory for users to set up their primary location and pay extra fees for extra members.
Furthermore, users will be required to link their watching devices, such as TVs, mobile phones, or tablets, to their household wifi every 31 days to verify that their Netflix account is not shared outside of their homes.
The news report also suggested that the termination may most likely be due to a huge loss of Netflix subscribers during the first half of 2022 against stiff competition from other streaming platforms like Disney+, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and HBO Go.
Earlier this month, Netflix also accidentally posted a set of guidelines regarding cracking down on password sharing on its help center pages in several countries, including the US, on Wednesday, causing a huge stir on social media. The post was taken down soon after.
The guidelines were previously only applicable to three countries – Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica where password-sharing rules were already in place. Those who wished to share their account within these countries had to pay around USD 2.99 a month per person.
Following the error, fans have been taking to social media, especially on Twitter, to mock an infamous tweet on Netflix’s official Twitter account regarding password sharing from six years ago.
Love is sharing a password.
— Netflix (@netflix) March 10, 2017
The post has received a variety of comments from people all across the world, with some expressing their outrage at the current situation and others simply making jokes about it.
“Oh hey @netflix what happened to this sentiment? Also what about all the paying customers who travel for extended periods of time like truckers, military, salespeople, kids going away to school, oil rig workers, pilots, and flight attendants? This new policy is trash,” one Twitter user complained.
“How about u limit the number of users on 1 account to 5 or 3 lol. The way you guys are going about this is as if we need your service and have no other options. Watch other companies increase their revenue off your ‘crackdown’,” another Twitter user said.
Netflix had nearly 231 million subscribers in 2022 worldwide during the fourth quarter of the year, marking a rise of roughly 8 million subscribers in comparison to the previous quarter.
Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) are home to the majority of Netflix’s members, accounting for roughly 76 million of Netflix’s total global subscriber base.
