Netflix expands password-sharing crackdown to Canada
Netflix account owners have been dreading the day the streaming service will finally crack down on password sharing, and the company’s anti-sharing measures have already been set in motion. It had alreadystarted testing the new account-sharing policyin Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and other parts of Latin America last year, but not without causing confusion for users in those countries. Despite what appears to be a scattershot rollout of the new policy, there’s no stopping Netflix from bringing it to more countries, and next up are Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain.
The streaming giantrevealed a few details of its account-sharing countermeasurea few days ago, and it’sstarting to charge customersin those countries for extra users outside their household. it’s possible to pay extra for one password piggybacker if you’re subscribed to the standard plan or up to two more outside users if you have the premium plan. The price is CAD$7.99 a month per person in Canada, NZD$7.99 in New Zealand, €3.99 in Portugal, and €5.99 in Spain.
Additionally, Netflix has reiterated a few additional features it previously introduced to encourage both original account owners and password-moochers to do the right thing. Subscribers will need to set a primary location for their accounts, and devices used to access the service outside an associated IP address will be blocked.
In Latin America, Netflix cracks down on password-sharing outside a subscriber’s household based on IP address, device ID, and account activity from the owner’s device. Members must also verify their credentials by sending a verification code to the primary account holder.
Last fall, the streaming platform added the ability for subscribers to convert their profiles into a separate paid account, complete with their existing viewing history, personalized recommendations, My List, and saved games. The same feature is available with the paid account-sharing policy in the four new countries.
As account sharing continues to be a bane for many of thebest streaming services, such as Netflix, the company will undoubtedly continue to look for more existing Netflix viewers leeching onto their friend’s accounts and force them to start paying for their own subscriptions. It didn’t specify when the new policy will make its way to the United States, but given that the latest expansion is taking place right on the country’s doorstep, it’s only a matter of time.
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