If you weren’t sure about this before now, I’m quite pleased to break it to you…. Netflix knows when you share your passwords with friends and family, and it is working tirelessly to ensure things don’t remain the same. How so? Netflix recognizes that password-sharing is impacting its revenue, and thus its ability to invest in original content that attracts subscribers.
In a new blog post recently published by Netflix titled “Paying to Share Netflix Outside Your Household,” the company reveals that it will begin testing two new features in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru designed to curb the trend of sharing accounts. Netflix said it won’t ban password sharing, but those who do it will have to pay strongly pointing out that accounts are intended to be used between households.
The company also confirmed that it will wait to see how the test run goes in these three countries, and if the change would raise its revenue and/or subscriber count before making any changes to other markets. Up until now, Netflix has never really enforced password-sharing, besides its Terms and Conditions updated on November 2, 2021, Article 4.2 which states that ‘The Netflix service and any content accessed through our service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.’
This isn’t the first time Netflix is trying out methods to get people to pay for their own accounts. In March 2021, it began testing two-step verification, in which after logging in, users would have to input a code that would be sent to the phone or email of the account owner. Netflix also raised its prices in the States recently, too. Fingers are crossed and seatbelts tightened; let’s see how Netflix intends to not mind its business, or is it the other way round.