If you’re among the roughly 100 million people who watch Netflix using a borrowed password, the streaming service provider will cut your fun.
Sometime in 2023—possibly early in the year—Netflix will start cracking down on password sharing, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
In widely reported comments, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos admitted to investors in December that viewers are likely to be unhappy with the change:
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think consumers will like it right away.”
So why is Netflix cracking down on password sharing? The WSJ reports that growth is slowing on Netflix, particularly in the US. Reducing password sharing is seen as a way to combat the trend.
Netflix may roll out a phased password-sharing crackdown in an effort to quell controversy over the move, the WSJ reports.
‘The company’s website says passwords should only be shared by people who live in the same household. It states:
“People who don’t live in the same household as you need to use their own accounts to watch Netflix.”
For now, at least, the website also says that Netflix “will not automatically charge you if you share your account with someone you don’t live with.”
If you don’t want to pay the standard fee for Netflix, you can get a discount by agreeing to watch the service with ads.
Ad-free Netflix plans are available for $9.99, $15.49 and $19.99 per month. However, Netflix recently launched an ad-supported plan for $6.99 per month.
Or, if you want to cut out Netflix altogether, you can switch to a low-cost or free streaming service. For more, see:
