Netflix password sharing notice – New discount starts in 2023

Netflix password sharing is a common thing, but it is no longer a good idea for several reasons. Amid falling profits this year and falling subscriber numbers, the popular streaming service is about to implement a crackdown on sharing passwords outside of your household, according to reports.

Starting in 2023, Netflix will ask password sharers to pay a little extra – the streaming platform has already tested this as an additional $3 in some countries. However, it’s possible Netflix could simply force people to sign up as a second account for a slightly lower priced subscription.

The crackdown on Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing

It was bound to happen at some point—Netflix has turned a blind eye to password sharing for a while, even though it’s against the streaming platform’s terms of service. But Netflix was able to look the other way when things were going well, and its recent troubles are forcing it to find new ways to add subscribers and revenue. Netflix lost nearly a million subscribers between April and July when more decided to end the service.

According to MacRumors, about 222 million paying households share passwords with another 100 million households that Netflix wants to monetize.

Netflix has already introduced a subsidized ad tier to try to entice more people to sign up to the platform amid a global cost-of-living crisis. However, this has had a slow start, according to Verge. Just 9% of Netflix signups in the US in November were for its “Basic with Ads” plan, making it the least popular of its plan options, new data from research firm Antenna reveals. In addition to Basic with Ads subscribers signing up for Netflix, Antenna observed that 0.1% of Netflix’s existing US subscribers switched to the Basic with Ads plan in November, the firm added.

When Netflix starts cracking down on password sharing, it will be able to tell if you’re trying to keep doing it. Netflix collects massive amounts of user data and password sharing can be detected via IP addresses, device IDs and account activity.

The UK watchdog says sharing Netflix passwords could be illegal

For UK Netflix users, this could be about to get even more complicated, as the UK watchdog reportedly labels password sharing as illegal. The Intellectual Property Office has published new guidance together with Facebook owner Meta which says:

“Piracy is a big issue for the entertainment and creative industries. Pasting internet images on social media without permission, or accessing movies, TV shows or live sports events through Kodi boxes, hacked Fire Sticks or apps without paying a subscription is a copyright violation and you could be committing a crime. »

Why password sharing is often a bad idea

I get it – a lot of people share passwords for streaming services, but this can also be bad for your security. People often choose weak, simple passwords that are easy to remember, and they also repeat them across services. Passwords can be shared securely using various password managers’ capabilities, but many people don’t know about these features or don’t use password managers at all.