Netflix begins cracking down on password sharing in 4 nations

Netflix on Wednesday outlined its long-awaited password-sharing tips, beginning first with customers in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, marking the most recent step within the firm’s telegraphed crackdown.

The streaming firm mentioned customers in these nations can be requested to set a “major location” for his or her Netflix accounts and can be allowed two “sub accounts” for customers who do not reside in that home-base family. Past that, the corporate will cost a month-to-month price per additional consumer: CA$7.99 in Canada, NZ$7.99 in New Zealand, 3.99 euros in Portugal and 5.99 euros in Spain.

“At present, over 100 million households are sharing accounts — impacting our potential to put money into nice new TV and movies,” mentioned Chengyi Lengthy, the corporate’s director of product innovation.

Netflix is testing its password-sharing restrictions exterior of the U.S. earlier than rolling them out domestically in March. The value in Canada might forecast what it can in the end cost in this system’s U.S. debut.

The modifications introduced Wednesday will roll out instantly, together with a brand new “Handle Entry and Gadgets” web page that may permit customers to curate who has entry to their accounts.

If an account has greater than the utmost profiles allowed, the consumer will be capable to switch surplus profiles to a brand new account and save the extra price. The transferred profiles will keep all of their customized suggestions and viewing historical past from the unique account.

Netflix mentioned it plans to revisit and refine the brand new account administration web page primarily based on consumer suggestions.

The consumer tips come after the streamer posted an enormous beat in subscriber numbers for its fourth quarter and introduced that former CEO Reed Hastings would step down.

The corporate introduced final fall that it might restrict password sharing with the stalling of subscriber development in its U.S.-Canada area.