Streaming giant, Netflix, may soon charge you for sharing your account password with people outside your household. The company will be trialling this policy in selected countries in the coming weeks, Variety reported.
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What’s the plan?
For a start, Netflix intends testing this punitive measure in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru and may extend it to other markets after the trial period. The test will allow Netflix to ask standard- and premium-plan customers to add accounts for up to two people they don't live with for an extra monthly charge.
Like what currently exists, this new feature will mean that the ‘extra members’ will have their own profiles, personalized recommendations, but they will also have their own logins and passwords, different from that of the paying customer. The fees range from £2.29 to £1.61 per month.
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Why the change?
Netflix has always made it possible for people who live together to share one account with multiple streams and separate profiles under the standard and premium plans. In a blog post, Netflix explains why they are thinking of changing this model.
While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households — impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.
Netflix prohibits the sharing of password amongst people, but has never really been strict in enforcing it. Last year, the streaming service tested a prompt on viewers using accounts owned by people outside their households. Users who tried logging in from a different location would see this message on their screens:
If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.
They would then have to verify the account with either a text or email that would be sent to the account holder. The monthly subscription fee for Netflix has increased in the UK and other markets in recent weeks.
