Did Mom and Dad say, “Just because everybody else does it, that doesn’t make it right”?
Netflix – perhaps playing the parenting role – appears to be cracking down on its customers who share their passwords, sending the message, “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.”
The streaming service asks customers to confirm that they live with the account owners and recipients answer by giving the details of a text message or email sent to those account owners.
This warning, or notice, or “test” has many consumers angry.
Netflix says it’s one of “hundreds” of tests a year with select customers.
“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so,” Netflix said in a statement.
The primary account holders pay $8.99 (basic) to $13.99 (expanded) for the service.
The Streamable first reported about the trial.
With 33% of all Netflix users sharing their password with at least one other person, according to research firm Magid, there is clearly money left on the table.
Twitter, users vented:
- “#netflix is getting greedy! no more PW sharing?? that was the best feature! i shall unsubscribe immediately. Netflix cracks down on users who share passwords after hiking fees.”
- “Just saying. If @netflix cracks down on password sharing, Im canceling and theyll get no money from all of us.”
- “This is seriously stupid, Netflix has billions, no amount of password sharing could stop them.”
Netflix shares were trading at $512 Friday afternoon ET, down more than 2 percent. The stock has seen a dramatic rise, having been below $300 a year ago.
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