Goodbye, “account sharing” on Netflix! The company has revealed how it will block users who don’t use their own accounts

Netflix has finally released information on how it will try to stop the phenomenon of “account sharing,” in which multiple users, from different homes, use a single account to access movies and series on its streaming service. Netflix will reportedly start verifying accesses from other locations, requiring confirmations from the account creator’s email address to open a new session in a household other than the “original” one.

Netflix will put the brakes on those who don’t have their own accounts

Basically, Netflix will try to persuade users who don’t use their own account to switch to a subscription of their own by introducing usage hurdles. Using account history and IP address, Netflix will be able to identify the primary location from which an account is used. When someone tries to access it from another home, even if they were already logged in at that location, they are prompted to register a new account

For mobile devices, which are not necessarily connected to a local network, they will have to connect at least once every 31 days to the Wi-Fi network of the “original” home. Otherwise, they will have to be re-authenticated. Those travelling can use a temporary authentication, via an emailed code, which allows 7 days of playback on a new device from a location outside the main home.

However, Netflix will apparently keep track of the devices you use most often and automatically block those that aren’t part of the household that registered the subscription. To unblock devices, you’ll need to contact Netflix customer service.

Over 100 million Netflix ‘users’ use other people’s accounts

These details were provided by the company for customers in North America, but the regulation will most likely be applied worldwide. The company has experimented in Latin America with extra fee options for each additional user, but it looks like it won’t continue with that strategy, but will instead directly block access to those using accounts outside the household where the account registrant lives.

According to Netflix estimates, 100 million users use other people’s accounts through “account sharing.” With the number of Netflix subscribers falling for the first time in 2021, and the number recently starting to rise again, but modestly, the company hopes to attract new subscribers through such practices. Recently, an ad-supported subscription was launched in some regions, offering access to a limited selection of content, with ads during playback and no local download options.

Source: The Streamable