Disney Plus’ password-sharing crackdown is starting sooner than expected – here’s what you need to know

By William On Sep 28, 2023

Disney+ has already admitted it will restrict users who share passwords, copying a similar move by rival Netflix.

Now it appears that the first phase of the crackdown has begun.

As first noted by unofficial fansite whatsondisneyplus, Disney+ has just updated its subscriber agreement to ban password sharing.

Those who don’t comply could be banned from using Disney+, the new subscriber agreement suggests.

It’s thought the ban on password sharing will coincide with the arrival of ads on Disney+ in Britain and other countries on November 1.

Disney+ is set to follow in the footsteps of rival streaming service Netflix – by tightening its stance on password sharing

What is password sharing?

Password sharing is a common practice among users of streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.

It involves a user spreading their password to other people living outside their household.

This allows these so-called ‘freeloaders’ to access their accounts, create their own profiles and watch movies and TV shows without paying a cent.

The new subscriber agreement, sent to users in a lengthy email, states: ‘Unless otherwise permitted by your subscription, you may not share your subscription outside your household.

“Household” means the collection of appliances associated with your primary personal residence and used by the individuals living therein.

‘We may analyze the use of your account to determine compliance with this Agreement.

‘If we determine that you have violated this Agreement, we may restrict or terminate access to the Service and/or take other steps as permitted by this Agreement.’

It’s unclear exactly how the ban on password sharing on Disney+ will work; MailOnline has contacted the company for more information.

Instead of just getting people to agree to the new subscriber agreement, additional steps can be taken to prevent password sharing, similar to what Netflix has done.

Netflix tracks IP addresses and device IDs to determine the location of devices using a Netflix profile – and to ensure they are all in one household.

In addition to a huge back catalog of Disney films, the offering on Disney+ includes The Simpsons, Star Wars and Marvel films such as The Avengers

This lets Netflix know if an account is being used on a “trusted device,” in other words, if they are in the same location as other devices using the account.

If there is a discrepancy or suspicious signals, Netflix can block the ‘untrusted’ device from accessing the account.

Alternatively, Netflix users who still want to share an account with people in another home will need to sign up for ‘paid sharing’ for a fee of £4.99/month ($8/month in the US) – which ultimately reduces the profit benefits the company.

Just months after Netflix’s password ban was rolled out across the world, Disney revealed it would follow suit.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said last month that the platform will crack down on password sharing, but he suggested this won’t be enforced until next year.

During the company’s quarterly earnings call, the CEO said that Disney+ ‘rolling out tactics to boost monetization sometime in 2024 – suggesting more measures to enforce the ban are indeed coming next year.

At the time, Disney+ also announced that it will roll out ads to users in the United Kingdom and other European countries on November 1, following the rollout to US users in December 2022.

Disney CEO Bob Iger (pictured) revealed last month that his streaming platform will crack down on password sharing

Once again, the platform seems to be taking the lead from Netflix, which introduced advertisements in November 2022.

Coincidentally, Amazon Prime Video announced last week that it would also be introducing ads to users from early 2024.

Disney explains: “Ads typically appear before the video begins and during playback – similar to what you would expect from commercials during a traditional TV broadcast.”

Currently there is only one fixed price for Disney+ in Britain – £7.99 per month – but the entertainment giant is copying Netflix by introducing ‘tiers’.

These tiers – which will be released on November 1 – are ‘Standard with Ads’ (£4.99 per month), ‘Standard’ (No Ads, £7.99 per month) and ‘Premium’ (No Ads, £10.99 per month). month).

Premium will be the most expensive as it offers 4K video quality, ‘immersive’ Dolby Atmos audio and up to four simultaneous streams.

Currently there is only one fixed price for Disney+ in Britain – £7.99 per month – but the entertainment giant is copying Netflix by introducing ‘tiers’

In comparison, Standard and Standard with Ads only allow simultaneous streams.

Premium and Standard don’t force customers to watch ads and allow programs to be downloaded to devices for offline viewing – but the same can’t be said for the new ad tier.

In addition to Great Britain, these three tiers will also be rolled out in Great Britain several other European countries – including France, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden – as well as Canada.

For some reason, Disney+ in the US only has two tiers: $7.99 per month with ads or $10.99 per month without ads.