Major changes to Netflix are rolling out in Australia: here’s what all users need to know
- Netflix to charge users who share their account
- It’s part of a crackdown on password sharing
Netflix is cracking down on subscription sharing in Australia with new technology to stop password sharing.
The move will come as a major blow to the thousands of families who share their credentials — and the cost of a subscription — with grandparents, siblings, and children who no longer live at home.
The popular streaming service made the announcement this week for more than 100 countries, including Australia.
Netflix will crack down on sharing by using the user’s IP address to determine how many devices use their account at home and elsewhere.
Netflix to charge Australian customers who share their account with others as part of global crackdown on password sharing (stock image)
Australian account holders will receive an email with details on Wednesday to notify them of the changes.
The email states that an account may only be used in one household.
A new payment plan allows users to add an “additional member” to Standard or Premium plans for an additional $7.99 per month.
While this is certainly annoying for customers who share their accounts with others, it’s still a cheaper option than creating two separate accounts.
The global crackdown on password sharing comes after the streaming giant revealed that more than 100 million customers shared their accounts.
Netflix explained that this practice could affect “our ability to invest in great new TV and movies.”
The streaming giant rolled out these changes in Canada and New Zealand back in February.
It caused a backlash from these countries, where the streaming giant saw a sudden drop in subscribers.
Netflix found that the numbers came back after a period of time, with customers subscribing to the “additional member” option.
The streaming service expects the same response to appear in Australia once the changes are implemented.
It is not yet known when the changes will take place in the country.
The streaming giant uses a customer’s IP address to determine how many devices are using their Netflix account (stock image)
Netflix will send an email to Australian customers, similar to the email above, explaining the changes
The monthly price of a subscription in Australia starts at $6.99 per month to watch the service’s ad-supported movie and TV offerings and 1080p video quality.
Users can pay an additional $4 per month for a basic plan with no ads and 720p video quality.
For $16.99 per month, subscribers can watch ad-free with 1080p video.
Premium subscribers pay as much as $22.99 per month for the highest quality video, including 4K and HDR video.
The incoming changes bring the cost to $30.98 per month for Premium users.