Netflix to end password sharing in early 2023

Posted:
in General Discussion
Netflix will begin cracking down on password sharing starting in 2023 in hopes of spurring password piggybackers to create new accounts.

Credit: David Balev/Unsplash
Credit: David Balev/Unsplash


Netflix says that 100 million viewers watch the service using passwords borrowed from friends or family members. While the service historically has looked the other way, it's preparing to roll out measures to shut down the practice.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Netflix considered consumer backlash when it began plans to end password sharing. The company considered a gradual reduction in password sharing to test the waters.

It also considered adding pay-per-view content to its catalogs, which could make users wary of sharing their passwords for fear of others running up their bill. However, according to those familiar with the situation, the company has eschewed this idea in favor of keeping a simpler interface.

It's unclear how Netflix will combat password sharing yet, and consumers likely won't know until 2023. What is clear, however, is Netflix's rules for password sharing. According to its Help Center, the company says accounts can only be shared by those who live together, and it would enforce the rules by monitoring users' IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity.

The measures come at a time when Netflix has seen negative growth for the first time in a decade. The company lost roughly 200,000 paid subscribers in the first quarter of 2022.

Netflix hopes to ease the transition for new subscribers by offering a lower-cost, ad-supported tier. It also has rolled out a new "Transfer Profile to a New Account" feature, which retains viewing history and personalized information for a smoother experience.

The company recently added a feature that allows subscribers to remove log-ins from their account, as well.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 44
    stukestuke Posts: 122member
    I have a prediction...want to see your numbers dwindle faster, start ripping apart family's with kids in college, visiting a friend for the week, away at summer camp, etc.  See how that spurs your subscriber base.
    lolliverwatto_cobrasconosciuton2itivguymac daddy zeeJaiOh81djames4242tenthousandthingsappleinsideruserMadbum
  • Reply 2 of 44
    If they wanted to crack down on password sharing, they should have done it when they were running high during COVID, not three years later when there are half a dozen solid competitors available. This will hasten the exodus of users. 
    muthuk_vanalingamlolliverwatto_cobran2itivguyJaiOh81djames4242Madbumchasm
  • Reply 3 of 44
    Password sharing is stealing. 

    Can’t run a business giving stuff away unless you’ve got endless marketing nvwators or run  on ads. 

    A family plan where everyone gets a code to authenticate would be fine. Or just get moms code when Netflix texts hee that you’re logging in 
    edited December 2022 watto_cobraronnlkruppJFC_PA
  • Reply 4 of 44
    JP234 said:
    What do you call someone who wants to use your Netflix account on your dime?
    Leech?
    Thief?
    Freeloader?
    Schnorer?
    Gonniff?
    Lowlife?

    What do you call someone who lets someone use his Netflix account for free?
    Sucker
    I don't mind sharing with my friends and they don't mind sharing with me. You should try it some time, you might find that you have more of them.
    n2itivguymac daddy zeeJaiOh81darbus69montrosemacsStrangeDays
  • Reply 5 of 44
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    I don’t hand out my password,  but what what will they do to people on holidays, travelling for business etc?
    mac daddy zee
  • Reply 6 of 44
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    So I cannot use my account in my office or when I travel? If they are going to base it on home IP? How stupid is this?
    mac daddy zeestrongyJaiOh81
  • Reply 7 of 44
    I don't have a static IP at home. Am I screwed?
    mac daddy zeeJaiOh81
  • Reply 8 of 44
    this will be impossible to track, for starters most mobile phone providers are using NAT addresses for connections so anyone on their mobile device may be sharing their IP Address with several people on the network, not to mention Home's change IP Addresses all the time not that many people have static addresses.
    JaiOh81
  • Reply 9 of 44
    Password sharing is stealing. 

    Can’t run a business giving stuff away unless you’ve got endless marketing nvwators or run  on ads. 

    A family plan where everyone gets a code to authenticate would be fine. Or just get moms code when Netflix texts hee that you’re logging in 
    pay for 4 people and use 4 people in no way can you classify it as stealing, now if they stop people using them 4 they bought that can be classed as fraud and false advertising.
    edited December 2022 williamlondonStrangeDays9secondkox2
  • Reply 10 of 44
    davidwdavidw Posts: 2,036member
    Madbum said:
    So I cannot use my account in my office or when I travel? If they are going to base it on home IP? How stupid is this?
    You can steam your Netflix account on a device like an tablet, laptop or mobile phone or even a computer and it won't matter what IP address you're using. But I think you only get SD quality, no matter what type of account you have. Plus this is the reason why Netflix do not support Airplay. You can not use AirPlay to go from your iPhone or iPad to an Apple TV (or any TV that supports AirPlay), to watch the movie you're streaming on a TV. But you can use "mirror" to mirror what's on your iPhone or iPad on to a TV with an Apple TV or a cable with the right adapter. (Which would even be worse.) I think that Netflix also know that you are streaming on a laptop, so if you hook the laptop to a TV with HDMI adapter, you still only get SD quality. Which would be noticeable on a TV but not so much on a laptop or mobile device screen. 
    ronn
  • Reply 11 of 44
    davidwdavidw Posts: 2,036member

    I don't have a static IP at home. Am I screwed?
    It's not only the IP address Netflix knows. They know the MAC address/ID of the modem and home devices you are using to connect to the internet. And most likely, its the modem your ISP provided you with when you got your account with them. So if your IP address changes but you're still using the same modem and home devices, then Netflix will figure out your provider changed your IP address. 

    Plus your IP address reveals the provider that owns that IP address and most likely what city that IP address is in. So even if your provider changed your IP address, Netflix will at least know whether that new IP address is from the same provider and in the same city. Problems might arise if you get a new provider and thus a new modem. 

    I have a Netflix account since they were just a DVD rental by mail and have never had a problem with my dynamic IP address in over 15 years of streaming from them. And I changed ISP at least twice during this time. But Netflix was more lax about sharing back then.  
    ronn
  • Reply 12 of 44
    davidwdavidw Posts: 2,036member
    strongy said:
    Password sharing is stealing. 

    Can’t run a business giving stuff away unless you’ve got endless marketing nvwators or run  on ads. 

    A family plan where everyone gets a code to authenticate would be fine. Or just get moms code when Netflix texts hee that you’re logging in 
    pay for 4 people and use 4 people in no way can you classify it as stealing, now if they stop people using them 4 they bought that can be classed as fraud and false advertising.
    Read the Netflix EULA. Carefully! No way are you paying for 4 people. You are paying for a plan that allows 4 streams (at the same time)Which allows you and members of your household to watch 4 streams at the same time, under the same roof. Not for 4 people to stream from TV's in 4 different households, using 4 different IP addresses. The only way they allow you to stream outside your household is with a mobile device like a tablet, phone or laptop. You are allowed to have 4 streams on 4 TV's or devices in your home (that are using the same IP address) and as many people watching as you can fit in your home.   
    williamlondondamn_its_hot
  • Reply 13 of 44
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    When I log into Microsoft Remote Desktop, it will let me login from anywhere from any machine. But, if I login on my Mac and then try and login on my iPad, it closes the connection from the Mac. I am free to login anywhere, but only at one place at a time. Netflix could’ve done this ages ago and avoided the whole problem. All of this mess and controversy could’ve been avoided if they had just done it the right way to start with.
    muthuk_vanalingamdamn_its_hotStrangeDays
  • Reply 14 of 44
    ronnronn Posts: 653member
    We're a two state household. But I'm not worried about this crackdown as we rarely use it at the same time. We receive a discount via T-Mobile.

    A cousin shared her password with her daughter, who shared it with others. She got locked out of her account. So she changed her password and never shared it again. I see no issue with sharing it with a loved one/within the family. And Netflix has account settings and plans to do just that. It's BS to be sharing it with multiple people outside of the family/home to the point that you are stealing.
    damn_its_hotdewme
  • Reply 15 of 44
    I somewhat sympathize with Netflix but in reality they created the situation by allowing multiple streams to help drive usage and acceptance.  
    Apple have the perfect solution with their family plans.  This allows multiple Apple ID accounts to use the same subscription.  Why can't Netflix do that?
    It will eliminate those who got the password from friends and would not be a major issue.  The other thing Netflix could do is force a password upgrade.
    ronndamn_its_hotStrangeDays
  • Reply 16 of 44
    I wonder if Private Relay will complicate things for services that want to limit password sharing.
    damn_its_hot
  • Reply 17 of 44
    mac_dogmac_dog Posts: 1,069member
    I don’t understand what everyone’s complaining about. It’s not like they’re saying they will limit the amount of profiles you have. Otherwise, don’t drink 3 lattes and get your own subscription. 
    damn_its_hotwilliamlondonronndewme
  • Reply 18 of 44
    stuke said:
    I have a prediction...want to see your numbers dwindle faster, start ripping apart family's with kids in college, visiting a friend for the week, away at summer camp, etc.  See how that spurs your subscriber base.
    I think this all depends on the implementation. 

    Our family all are under one roof, we enjoy 2 connections over the basic conn, the price is very reasonable e.g., $10 1st conn & $5 for the 2nd. 

    Reasonable for the extremely large amount  of content ( and Very different tastes from our child's ). 

    Let's see what happens with the lower priced entry tier ie, with ads. 

    Although I agree it would have been easier to nip this in the bud earlier, these folx have been around the block. Anyone else remember ordering DVDs from them....
    dewme
  • Reply 19 of 44
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    stuke said:
    I have a prediction...want to see your numbers dwindle faster, start ripping apart family's with kids in college, visiting a friend for the week, away at summer camp, etc.  See how that spurs your subscriber base.
    And how would that dwindle numbers since a single account is servicing all those people? Are you saying the primary account holder would cancel and no one would get the service, out of spite?
    ronn
  • Reply 20 of 44
    As said in more than one post above: Netflix won't use IP addr tracking. It just would not work - they have to use a UNIQUE ID ie, your device and/ or modem's MAC addr (nothing to do with Macs - look it up ).

    If Netflix were to query past my firewall or other protections they would find so many local addr eg 192.10.16.2 which could match many other devices & would probably show massive duplications....
    ....oh, the chaos of all!
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