Netflix Cracking Down on Password Sharing in Four More Countries, Including Canada

[MacRumors]

Netflix today announced an expansion of its crackdown on password sharing, with the streaming service putting a stop to multi-household account use in Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal.

In these countries, people who share an account with those who do not live with them will need to pay for an "extra member." Prices are as follows:

• Canada - $7.99 CAD
• New Zealand - $7.99 NZD
• Portugal - 3.99 euros
• Spain - 5.99 euros

Prices are per person, with up to two additional people able to be added to an existing Netflix Standard or Premium plan. The extra price will provide each person with a profile, personalized recommendations, login, and password. Alternatively, people who share a Netflix account with someone outside of their household at the current time can transfer a profile to a separate paid Netflix account.

Netflix will require customers to set up a primary location, ensuring that anyone who lives in the household can use the Netflix account. Netflix says it will still be possible for subscribers to watch content while traveling, however. The Netflix website has little information on how travel works, and Netflix did not provide details when requested. Part of the process of blocking account sharing requires users to set a Primary Location, and in Canada, Netflix says that for people who have second homes or travel frequently to another location, the Netflix app must be opened on a mobile device while connected to the Wi-Fi network at the Primary Location once per month.

For members with second homes or who travel frequently, open the Netflix app on your mobile device(s) while connected to the Wi-Fi network at your primary location once a month and then when you arrive at the second location.

This suggests Netflix will require monthly checkins at a Primary Location for the streaming service to be accessible if you are not at home.

According to Netflix, more than 100 million households are sharing accounts, which impacts its "ability to invest in great new TV and films." The company says that a Netflix account is "intended for one household," a rule that the company first started enforcing last year.

Netflix has already been testing restrictions for multi-household account access in several countries in Latin America, and it said in a Q4 earnings results release that it plans to enforce rules against password sharing more broadly in 2023.

Password sharing rules will be enforced through IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity. So far, Netflix has not made any announcements in the United States, but the company is well aware that it will not be a "universally popular move," as it said it is anticipating "a bit of a cancel reaction" as the crackdown continues. Given that pricing for an additional person is $7.99 in New Zealand and Canada, Netflix could eventually implement a similar add-on price in the United States.

While the Netflix terms of service have never explicitly allowed for multi-household password sharing, Netflix looked the other way for so long that implementing fees for offering account access to friends and family is likely to upset some subscribers.

Netflix's plan pricing also doesn't help, as subscribers pay for watching on multiple devices. With the Premium plan, for example, Netflix provides Ultra HD 4K streaming and support for watching on four devices simultaneously, now with the caveat that everyone watching has to be in the same home.

Article Link: Netflix Cracking Down on Password Sharing in Four More Countries, Including Canada

 

[GizmoDVD]

Good.

You can't share your Theater tickets and you can't share traditional cable. Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US and complain when their favorite show gets cancelled.

 

[Think|Different]

Jeez, just do it already. I'm tired of seeing articles everywhere about this – either they are or they are not. Get on with it, rip the Band-Aid off if this is your plan.

 

[jonnysods]

Bold move. I already got our own account again to save my father in law any hassles.

Something else I noticed they had done was degrade the quality of the stream on Netlfix when using from another IP from the main user. It's a theory I have, because as soon as I got my own account it was clear as day again.

 

[anzio]

I wonder how it’ll work for us when we travel in our motorhome with Starlink. Is that still technically our household? I guess we just use the passcodes when we’re away on a trip. Not a big deal as long as it’s permitted.

 

[haginile]

What happens when I watch Netflix in Safari with iCloud Relay turned on?

 

[Timpetus]

My perspective is that they've actually gotten more money because the choice for a lot of people is between sharing an account and none of those sharing it having an account. These customers will be gone for good once the crackdown starts, dropping the revenue stream from them to $0.

 

[sw1tcher]

In these countries, people who share an account with those who do not live with them will need to pay for an "extra member." Prices are as follows:

• Canada - $7.99 CAD
• New Zealand - $7.99 NZD
• Portugal - 3.99 euros
• Spain - 5.99 euros

Prices are per person, with up to two additional people able to be added to an existing Netflix Standard or Premium plan.

What video quality does that person get for $7.99CAD/mo though? Not bad if you get Ultra HD. Cheaper than getting the Premium plan on your own.

The Basic (HD quality) with ads plan is $5.99CAD/mo, the Basic (HD quality) no ads is $9.99CAD/mo, the Standard (full HD) is $16.49CAD/mo, and the Premium (Ultra HD) $20.99CAD/mo

 

[supergt]

I rarely if ever watch netflix anymore. There are better offerings.

 

[Jimmy_Banks]

Good.

You can't share your Theater tickets and you can't share traditional cable. Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US and complain when their favorite show gets cancelled.

"Love is sharing a password" -Netflix

 

[Nermal]

Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US

Netflix has previously implied that it's fine (e.g. a Premium account allows watching on four computers at once, therefore people watch it on four computers at once) and has even encouraged it in the past (the infamous "love is sharing a password" tweet). Whether it's right or wrong, I wouldn't call it "bizarre".

 

[Born Again]

Time to pay up cheapskates.

Sharing passwords is a crime.

Edit : * crime against humanity

I didn’t think was going to be a very unpopular post but be fair my friends. If you want streaming services to survive you need to do your part and pay.

Edit 2 : my friends all these streaming services aren’t sustainable. A few years from now we will all laugh that we paid for Netflix, Disney +, Hulu, peacock, paramount, hbo max, etc. Not Apple TV + though. Nobody in their right might is paying for that service.

 

[decimortis]

The sun is setting on our Netflix usage anyway, so no big deal here. Once Stranger Things S5 and Umbrella Academy S4 ends, so does our subscription.

 

[sw1tcher]

What I envision.

1) People cancel their Standard ($16.49CAD/mo) or Premium ($20.99CAD/mo) plans
2) Share someones Standard or Premium plan with $7.99CAD/mo "extra member" discounted rate plan to save $8.50CAD/mo or $13.00CAD/mo
3) Profit! 🤣


I expect a subReddit for a group share for this to appear like how there was for people to join a Visible wireless service family plan.

 

[lkrupp]

I rarely if ever watch netflix anymore. There are better offerings.

Yeah, we always get comments like this about any service. So what?

 

[hsoj1006]

Time to pay up cheapskates.

Sharing passwords is a crime.

A crime? LOL. Hokay. It isn't, but hokay.

 

[polaris20]

Good.

You can't share your Theater tickets and you can't share traditional cable. Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US and complain when their favorite show gets cancelled.

Even more bizarre that people think you should pay for four simultaneous streams, but not actually get to use them in many cases. A lot of people's kids are away at school, for example. You think it's okay for them to have to pay $7.99 on top of the $14.99, just because they're not home? Because that's the way it's looking like Netflix is going.

 

[Michael Scrip]

It sounds like this is just a sneaky way to raise prices.

Netflix already has a "Premium" plan for $19.99/month that allows a household to watch on four screens in their home.

So maybe they're getting ready to offer an "Extended Family Plan" for $26.99 so that sons and daughters can use that account when they are away at college.

In essence... that what they're doing... charging extra money for people outside your home.

🤔

 

[mitty]

Just do it world wide Netflix, what are you waiting for? It's time to **** or get off the pot.

 

[Two Appleseeds]

Good.

You can't share your Theater tickets and you can't share traditional cable. Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US and complain when their favorite show gets cancelled.

Found Reed Hastings burner account. Btw Neflix competitors offer 4k on basic plans and sharing… Also still bitter you canceled the OA.

 

[alfonsog]

Seems like the whole streaming model for all these companies is turning out to be not as profitable as anticipated. Netflix raised prices and lost subscribers and when this hits the USA they will lose more. Then they will go to ads and lose more. Eventually be bought out or collapse. At least for Apple streaming and services are just a side thing to sell more real product.

 

[fwmireault]

Time to pay up cheapskates.

Sharing passwords is a crime.

It is not. You can argue it is morally wrong, but there is literally no instance where you’ll be arrested because you shared your Netflix account with your relatives.

 

[nt5672]

We watch Netflix maybe once per month using family creds. Netflix is not really worth much more than free for us. We won't miss it one bit. We'll not ever buy it outright.

Not only is a lot of the programming bad, but most of the audio is terrible for most productions especially those done outside the country. Will I guess I should say bad unless you are listening to the program with headphones for a small device.

 

[mrmister]

Even more bizarre that people think you should pay for four simultaneous streams, but not actually get to use them in many cases. A lot of people's kids are away at school, for example.

"You get four simultaneous streams! But you all have to be in one house! You can't be travelling! You can't be around town! I mean, you can, but it's on you to write us (???) and get a passcode (?!?) so you can use your own account!"

Please, just use bittorrent if you are at all technically inclined, these policies are stupid as hell.

 

[sw1tcher]

Time to pay up cheapskates.

Sharing passwords is a crime.

A crime Netflix and Reed Hastings promoted and encouraged.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/netflix-to-expand-crackdown-on-password-sharing-in-q1-2023.2377585/?post=31892751#post-31892751