Some users have reported seeing a screen saying, “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.”
Well, Netflix is testing its new feature that may help the streaming platform crackdown on password sharing.
According to a Netflix spokesperson; “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.”
The decision has yet to be made as to whether the company will roll this out across its network.
In the trial, users can verify if they are allowed to access the account. They can verify it by a code, sent via text or email.
Netflix is trying a new feature to crackdown on ineligible users. However, it is unclear how many people use the platform against their terms of service. The streaming giant will show users a pop-up asking them to verify their account using a code sent through text or email when they select their profile on a shared Netflix account.
Streaming platforms, including Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, allow users to create multiple profiles within the account. But the terms and conditions specify they are meant to be used by people in the household.
During a 2016 webcast, Netflix co-founder and chief executive Reed Hastings said:
“Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with, because there’s so much legitimate password sharing, like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids, so there’s no bright line, and we’re doing fine as is.”
The test comes at a time when Netflix has over 200 million paid subscribers. The streaming giant in Q4 2020 added 8.5 million paid net subscribers crossing the 200 million paid memberships mark.
Password sharing has been an issue for streaming platforms. According to an analysis by research firm Parks Associates (via The Verge), password piracy and sharing had led to a loss of $9.1 billion in fees in 2019 alone for streaming providers such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus.
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