Netflix to Begin Cracking Down on Password Sharing in Early 2023

[Mainsail]

We have the Netflix premium service, and share the account with our three grown children. Two are at University. One works remote and moves around a lot. I selected the premium series because of the four simultaneous streams. That is how it was advertised and displayed on their pricing tiers. I never read the voluminous Terms of Service agreements written by company lawyers for this kind of a thing. Why? Because I have better things to do with my time. This is not a high consequence significant purchase like a house or a car. This is a stupid streaming service that I can cancel at any time. The risks are low. So, I relied upon the marketing material and pricing information provided by the company. I assume this is how most people operate. Seriously, how many people have read the iTunes TOS?

Now, I find out that 4 simultaneous streams does not really mean 4 simultaneous streams, and I have been mislead. I know. I know. They buried it in their terms of service somewhere. Or, maybe it's a footnote on the pricing sheet. That's BS. Screw em. If they want to start charging me more. Fine. Then I will have a decision to make. Otherwise, I'll continue to share the account with my family.

 

[cgs1xx]

I already pay a lot more for the premium tier so I can “share” my password… that’s the point of paying Netflix’s exorbitant fees so I can share with family - who don’t live at the same address. The premium tier allows watching on four devices, why does it matter where your family members are?

 

[cgs1xx]

We have the Netflix premium service, and share the account with our three grown children. Two are at University. One works remote and moves around a lot. I selected the premium series because of the four simultaneous streams. That is how it was advertised and displayed on their pricing tiers. I never read the voluminous Terms of Service agreements written by company lawyers for this kind of a thing. Why? Because I have better things to do with my time. This is not a high consequence significant purchase like a house or a car. This is a stupid streaming service that I can cancel at any time. The risks are low. So, I relied upon the marketing material and pricing information provided by the company. I assume this is how most people operate. Seriously, how many people have read the iTunes TOS?

Now, I find out that 4 simultaneous streams does not really mean 4 simultaneous streams, and I have been mislead. I know. I know. They buried it in their terms of service somewhere. Or, maybe it's a footnote on the pricing sheet. That's BS. Screw em. If they want to start charging me more. Fine. Then I will have a decision to make. Otherwise, I'll continue to share the account with my family.

Exactly! well said!

 

[Mainsail]

I already pay a lot more for the premium tier so I can “share” my password… that’s the point of paying Netflix’s exorbitant fees so I can share with family - who don’t live at the same address. The premium tier allows watching on four devices, why does it matter where your family members are?

I agree. On top of that, Netflix's definition of a household is so out of touch with current family living arrangements, travel, remote working, college life, and common streaming behavior that it nullifies most of the benefit of the four simultaneous streams that they advertise and use to sell the premium tier. In addition to being misleading, it is kind of non-sensical.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I can't believe how many people complain about this, needing to pay a extra $3 a month on a $12 plan – how dare they, I'll quit, etc. – while others apparently happily pay Google **$65** a month for YouTube TV. Maybe they need a new PR department.

I pay for YTTV and I watch it far, far more than I watched Netflix (before i cancelled). If you actually look at how unfair their subscription plans are, you might agree that forcing 3 screens on people just because they want basic High Def (1080p) picture quality, then Netflix gets upset because people utilize all 3 of their screens that are part of their plan?

I would have much more respect for Netflix's predicament if they had a single screen 1080p tier that was $10. No sharing. Just one screen at a decent picture quality.

 

[Skyscraperfan]

I just checked the pricing in Germany and it seems we do no longer have the basic option without ads. There just is the basic option with 720p and ads for €4.99 per month, but cheapest option without ads is the 1080p option for €12.99 per month.

 

[turbineseaplane]

you might agree that forcing 3 screens on people just because they want basic High Def (1080p) picture quality, then Netflix gets upset because people utilize all 3 of their screens that are part of their plan?

So well said

They lure people in who want that 1080p..and advertise the extra screens.. (a feature I’m sure many see and use to justify price and value) but then want to restrict how and where you actually get the 3 screens?

Total bunk and trying to “have it all” from Netflix

 

[Realityck]

this is going to lead to issues. Since Netflix is supported on so many mobile devices, their ip addresses change frequently. I also travel and use my Netflix account. lets say for arguments sake the code is like a 2fa code to a cell phone. When I am roaming around Disney world with kids or traveling I don’t want to have to put in the code everytime my address changes. Technology has to work for people, not people work for technology or you will piss them off and they will leave

I still think it will mostly be associated with TVs specifically. (unique MAC addresses for a given IP range) It would be way too challenging to constantly send emails asking to verify connections to different WiFi Lans for phones, tablets, laptops, computers all the time, that would be really annoying to their customers. The usage of the term household is inappropriate because you could temporary be external to a residence very frequently with some people lifestyles. In other words a household is just an odd term to use in this present day and age. No one thinks a family unit dwells in the same residence constantly. We have lots of families where kids move from being separated to back at home depending on time of the year.

Also worried about how far they will go with password sharing as they have the courts on their sides.

The UK says sharing Netflix passwords is illegal, could be criminal fraud

TorrentFreak writes that the UK Government's Intellectual Property Office published new piracy guidance yesterday in the form of a campaign in partnership with Meta that's designed to...

www.techspot.com

 

[Mainsail]

The usage of the term household is inappropriate because you could temporary be external to a residence very frequently with some people lifestyles. In other words a household is just an odd term to use in this present day and age. No one thinks a family unit dwells in the same residence constantly. We have lots of families where kids move from being separated to back at home depending on time of the year.

Exactly. "Household" is kind of a 1950s reference to the nuclear family that is disconnected from the reality of today's varied living arrangement. When I selected the premium service with multiple simultaneous screens, it never occurred to me that there would be a "Household" limitation. It seems antithetical to the whole notion of offering multiple screens. Like I said, it's non-sensical....so, I chose to ignore it.

As for this notion of "theft", I can not imagine a court in this country that would convict someone for sharing passwords outside of a household for a service that was advertised as "premium" and sold based upon multiple simultaneous screens. Perhaps, I could see Netflix being fined for false advertising or fraudulent business practices. But, I don't see a customer being convicted of theft in this situation.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Also worried about how far they will go with password sharing as they have the courts on their sides.

Go as far as they'd like!

But they shouldn't be surprised if business heads into rocky territory

Actively irritating your customers is a good way to lose them

 

[yuletide]

If they really do this my family will likely cancel. Netflix content quality has dropped drastically while costs go up. They are desperate for $$ but don’t have the content to back it up.

 

[Realityck]

If they really do this my family will likely cancel. Netflix content quality has dropped drastically while costs go up. They are desperate for $$ but don’t have the content to back it up.

The most recent report on this topic

Netflix will enforce password-sharing rules through IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity. To keep from alienating customers, Netflix may slowly phase out password sharing rather than putting a stop to it all at once.

Note the last comment in that paragraph, "may slowly phase out password sharing". Sounds like Netflix won't be jerks and try to enforce en mass, rather test the waters and see some accounts that never involved a family but one person that signed up and shares it with three other friends.

 

[EuroChilli]

Busy testing Netflix on NordVPN obfuscated servers…so far, so good.

Netflix, you can have my money, just don’t be a male appendage about it, or I will cut off the flow.

 

[cgs1xx]

I think they should introduce single view tiers, all with UHD (it’s nearly 2023 😆), without any reference to “family” or “household”. So one screen UHD costs X, two screens cost XX etc

 

[EuroChilli]

I think they should introduce single view tiers, all with UHD (it’s nearly 2023 ), without any reference to “family” or “household”. So one screen UHD costs X, two screens cost XX etc

This. Pay per view/stream. Simple. And in other news…

 

[I7guy]

I agree. On top of that, Netflix's definition of a household is so out of touch with current family living arrangements, travel, remote working, college life, and common streaming behavior that it nullifies most of the benefit of the four simultaneous streams that they advertise and use to sell the premium tier. In addition to being misleading, it is kind of non-sensical.

You’re right in one sense. If you pay for four streams your account should allow for four simultaneous streams. Even if you give your password to 100 people your account is limited to four simultaneous streams.

Of course you as the account owner can be screwed if you can’t get in to watch content on your account because multiple people have your password.

 

[I7guy]

If they really do this my family will likely cancel. Netflix content quality has dropped drastically while costs go up. They are desperate for $$ but don’t have the content to back it up.

We happen to like the content and will pay extra, sharing fees if push comes to shove. Ymmv.

Netflix’s point of view does make sense. It’s a household account. Even if the household is spread across the geography. Why should those unrelated to the household have access?

 

[EuroChilli]

We happen to like the content and will pay extra, sharing fees if push comes to shove. Ymmv.

This is what Netflix is probably hoping applies to the majority of their users….

It’s quite simple, if you don’t like what I’m doing with your service, cut me off….

 

[EuroChilli]

Here’s another thought; what’s stopping me running a cable to my neighbours to give them my electricity? Just one thing; me not paying my bills.

 

[I7guy]

Here’s another thought; what’s stopping me running a cable to my neighbours to give them my electricity? Just one thing; me not paying my bills.

Here’s another thought…what is stopping you from running a cable to your neighbors house except the electricity is before the meter? Then your bills wont matter.

 

[EuroChilli]

Here’s another thought…what is stopping you from running a cable to your neighbors house except the electricity is before the meter? Then your bills wont matter.

Nothing, apart from the law, assuming it is enforced, after it was first made clear.

I'm originally from South Africa, so trust me, this happens, all the time, hence the major problem said country is sitting with right now. (search 'Eskom load shedding'. 15 years and counting) But until you can prove I've done something wrong, I'm going to keep doing it! (btw, I meant after the meter)

This is human nature, to push the boundaries (ask my parents about that...). But until someone tells us we have gone too far, and enforces it, with consequences, we are going to keep going, right?

But in the case of Netflix, we are talking about after the meter. 1, 2 or 4 streams is 1, 2 or 4 streams. If you don't like that I'm sharing one of those streams with a neighbour, switch me off, or send the police, with proof of an infraction.

 

[imola.zhp]

We were just looking at Netflix over this past weekend and wondered why we still have it. This will be a good reason to go ahead and cancel it.

 

[compwiz1202]

I pay for YTTV and I watch it far, far more than I watched Netflix (before i cancelled). If you actually look at how unfair their subscription plans are, you might agree that forcing 3 screens on people just because they want basic High Def (1080p) picture quality, then Netflix gets upset because people utilize all 3 of their screens that are part of their plan?

I would have much more respect for Netflix's predicament if they had a single screen 1080p tier that was $10. No sharing. Just one screen at a decent picture quality.

Exactly they need a base price for lowest res one stream, and then charge more separately to up either of those things.

And i loved YTTV until the price doubled or more. That PSVue were my faves but PSVue died I wish they would just make sports separate already. Can get the TV apps with no sports for less annually than most others monthly.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Exactly they need a base price for lowest res one stream, and then charge more separately to up either of those things.

It's kind of interesting -- so many hated the cable "bundle" because of paying for things they personally didn't want/use.

But...what you have here is Netflix trying to "bundle" things again ... packing together some things that some want and others don't, all in service of getting a higher dollar average out of every subscription.

The bundle has just moved down to the individual service level here, as oppose to bundling services (or channels) instead.

 

[Realityck]

It's kind of interesting -- so many hated the cable "bundle" because of paying for things they personally didn't want/use.

When I think of how bad most of pricy broadcast distribution is comparably on cable, Netflix seems cheap. Like anywhere out there various streaming sites cater to different audiences. Netflix is a good Asian content site, lots of kdramas for example. Everyone’s seen squid game, there’s lots more to take in. Some of their better shows come back for multiple seasons. Example Emily in Paris. Yes so much is so so, but all site are like that IMHO.