Netflix is testing a feature that cracks down on password sharing
If you’re currently leeching your Netflix account from an old acquaintance (or perhaps an ex), then we have some bad news. Netflix is cracking down on password sharing by testing out a new feature on users who aren’t account holders.
The news was first reported byGammaWire, in which a user spotted a screen when trying to log in which states, ‘If you don’t live with the owner of the account, you need your own account to keep watching’, and then a button to create a new account.
Underneath this there’s three options for verification. Netflix will send the account holder either a text message, an email, or give the user the option to do this at a later date. The code sent out will have a countdown on it, and if the user can’t enter it in the timeframe, they won’t be able to get into Netflix.
In a comment toThe Verge, a spokesperson for Netflix clarified the following: “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.”
It should be possible to get round this feature – you can always message the account holder and ask for the code. However, they’ll need to be ready to send it to you quickly so you don’t get locked out.
Technically password sharing is only meant to be limited to members of the same household. However, Netflix does make exceptions for students who are away from home for university, so the areas are very grey.
This will however be good news for anyone who is worried about the security of their account – and will mean that you can free up simultaneous streams and profiles for people who you trust and know.
Nonetheless, this is obviously a feature designed to ramp up subscriptions. With the ongoing pressure of growing streaming services likeDisney Plus and HBO Max, Netflix is combining this withrising pricesto stay competitive.
The test isn’t designed for just one country or for a specific amount of time, so we don’t know yet when or where it will be rolling out on mass scale. In the meantime, keep an eye out on when you next have to log in to Netflix.
You can also check outwhich Netflix planis the right one for you, andhow to watch Netflix in 4K.
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor’s Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She’s also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she’s written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.
