Netflix has expanded the number of countries it polices for password sharing as it begins to stamp out the practice.
Subscribers in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain will now be asked to pay an extra fee if they want friends and family to share their subscription.
The streaming giant has already got tough on customers in South America and it’s believed the UK will be in line for the same treatment by the end of next month.
According to Netflix, over 100 million people around the world share their login details with others. As it grapples with plunging subscribers, Netflix is keen that everyone who watches its content pays their way.
‘So over the last year, we’ve been exploring different approaches to address this issue in Latin America, and we’re now ready to roll them out more broadly in the coming months, starting today in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain,’ the company wrote in a blog post.
‘Our focus has been on giving members greater control over who can access their account.’
A number of methods have been outlined to try and stop the practice of password sharing.
According to the blog post, these include:
- Set primary location: We’ll help members set this up, ensuring that anyone who lives in their household can use their Netflix account.
- Manage account access and devices: Members can now easily manage who has access to their account from our new Manage Access and Devices page.
- Transfer profile: People using an account can now easily transfer a profile to a new account, which they pay for — keeping their personalized recommendations, viewing history, My List, saved games and more.
- Watch while you travel: Members can still easily watch Netflix on their personal devices or log into a new TV, like at a hotel or holiday rental.
- Buy an extra member: Members on our Standard or Premium plan in many countries (including Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain) can add an extra member sub account for up to two people they don’t live with — each with a profile, personalized recommendations, login and password — for an extra CAD$7.99 a month per person in Canada, NZD$7.99 in New Zealand, Euro 3.99 in Portugal, and Euro 5.99 in Spain.
According to the new rules, users will be asked to define a primary location through their TV. All the accounts and devices should be connected to the same WiFi as the TV.
To ensure that a Netflix account is not being shared outside of the registered household, users will need to connect their viewing device – such as a TV, mobile phone or tablet – to the WiFi in their home, open the Netflix app and watch something on the streaming service at least once every 31 days.
Netflix says it is expecting to lose a certain amount of viewers as the changes take hold. However, the company hopes its ‘great slate of programming’ will tempt them back in time.
At present, the cost of a Netflix subscription starts at £4.99 per month for the basic package. This lets subscribers watch on one device and includes adverts.
The next step up is £6.99 per month which gets rid of the adverts but keeps the quality capped at standard definition.
Next up is the £10.99 per month option which lets viewers watch on up to two devices at once in high definition. The £15.99 per month Premium subscription allows up to four devices to stream simultaneously and viewers can watch it Ultra HD where available.
‘We value our members and recognize that they have many entertainment choices,” Netflix explained.
‘A Netflix account is intended for one household and members can choose from a range of plans with different features. As always, we’ll refine these new features based on member feedback so that we continue to improve Netflix in the years ahead.’
