In life, in 2023, there are two types of people: those who pay their Netflix subscription and those who squat the codes of their loved ones. But that’s almost over. The American streaming giant announced this Tuesday, May 23, to end the sharing of accounts for people who do not live in the same household.
“Your Netflix account is for you and for the people who live with you, that is to say your household”, explains the platform in an email which must be sent in the coming days to all subscribers concerned. In addition to France, a hundred countries are concerned, including the United States.
When does the measure take effect?
A priori, the measurement is immediate. The platform does not really specify an exact date on which the “squatters” will be dismissed. However, in a Press release published on its site Tuesday, May 23, the company indicates that “from today, our subscribers in France who share their Netflix account outside their home will receive the email below”. An email to notify subscribers of the cut.
How will it work?
In its explanatory email, Netflix indicates two possible solutions for those who already share their identifiers. They can either add an additional subscriber by paying extra. The price of this supplement varies by country. In France, it is already fixed at 5.99 euros, in the United States at 8 dollars. Another possibility: transfer the profile of a person outside the household. This one will have to subscribe to its own subscription but will thus preserve its preferences.
The platform nevertheless indicates that it will be possible to consume Netflix at your vacation spot or on the move. “Anyone living in this household can watch Netflix anywhere, whether at home, on the go, or on vacation,” the statement explained.
Who is concerned ?
In total, the measure targets 100 countries, including France and the United States. The streaming veteran has been testing this new formula for a year, and has already implemented it in Canada, Spain, New Zealand and Canada. The strategy to restrict password sharing had been delayed, but testing and deployment in Latin America and more recently in Canada have been successful, according to Greg Peters, the company’s co-chief executive. According to the first results, the unsubscriptions are numerous at the beginning, but eventually stability is found and the number of subscribers goes back up after a few months.
Netflix, which has more than 232 million subscribers, also added a cheaper subscription with advertising at the end of 2022, after years of reluctance. It now has nearly 5 million monthly active users, according to the company. And it’s no coincidence that the end of password sharing is announced just a few months later. “People who use other people’s accounts, like those who choose the formula with advertising, are looking to save money. For profiteers who will lose their access, the new subscription will therefore be an attractive option”, commented Insider Intelligence analyst Ross Benes at Agence France Presse.
Why these restrictions?
Netflix has been hammering the same message for several weeks. In February, the company had justified the end of the unlimited sharing of passwords in these terms in a press release: “We have always facilitated the sharing of a Netflix account for people living together, with the different profiles and the possibility to each watch their programme” on different screens, simultaneously. Adding in the same press release: “These tools have been immensely popular, but they have created confusion about when and how you can share Netflix.”
The American giant then detailed that nearly 100 million households share their account. “Which affects our ability to invest in big movies and TV series.” “Our job is to always have more titles that people absolutely want to see,” summarized Greg Peters in January, the company’s co-CEO.