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Netflix wants you to pay extra for sharing your account with others (Updated)
- Netflix will soon start testing paid password sharing in select markets.
- The streaming platform wants to restrict password sharing to a single household.
Update: April 19, 2022 (11:13 PM ET): Netflix has made it clear in a letter to investors that it will soon start monetizing multi-household account sharing. So the test that we’ve mentioned in the article below will become a reality for Netflix subscribers sometime soon.
Original article: March 16, 2022 (11:24 PM ET): It’s no secret that Netflix account holders share passwords with family and friends who don’t live in the same household. The streaming service has allowed account sharing since its inception, but the practice may be coming to an end very soon.
Netflix is formulating plans to crack down on password sharing outside a single household by charging users extra for doing so. Rumors about Netflix restricting account sharing have been swirling around for a while. However, this is the first time the company has officially acknowledged that it’s doing something about it.
“Accounts are being shared between households — impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members,” Netflix noted in a press release.
In the next few weeks, the streaming platform will launch and test two new features in select markets, wherein members will have to pay an additional $2 to $3 for sharing their passwords with people outside their homes.
Those who subscribe to the Standard and Premium Netflix plans will be able to add sub-accounts for up to two people they don’t live with, each of whom will get their own profile, personalized recommendations, logins, and passwords.
Are you okay with Netflix charging extra for password sharing?
Members on the Basic, Standard, and Premium plans will also be able to enable folks who share their accounts to transfer their profile information either to a new account or a sub-account. This way, they’ll get to keep their viewing history, watchlist, and personalized recommendations.
For now, the Netflix test for paid password sharing will roll out for members in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru. There’s no telling if the company will adopt the new features globally after the tests are concluded.
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