Netflix’s anti-password sharing will force you to sign in once a month – or get blocked
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New details of that of Netflix measures against password sharing have appeared online, showing how the platform intends to crack down on users.
The newly found information was discovered in Netflix’s US Help Center and confirmed by The Streamable (opens in new tab) on January 31; however, that page has since been removed. At the time of writing, the Help Center has reverted to its previous state. Fortunately, a copy of the rules can still be found on the Wayback machine (opens in new tab)a website that takes ‘screenshots’ of the internet for posterity.
According to the reports, “Netflix accounts are still shareable, but only within one household.” Anyone outside of your home will not be able to use that account and will be prompted to create their own account.
The platform also requires users to log into their Netflix account over their household Wi-Fi, open the app, and “watch something at least once every 31 days.” Doing so will register your devices as “trusted”. It is not known exactly what will happen if you do not log in once a month, but judging by the wording, it implies that your account will be blocked. And if this happens to you, you should contact Netflix for help.
Travel misery
Things get a bit problematic when you decide to travel. The rules state that Netflix uses identifying information such as “IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity to determine if a device” is connected to your primary location. But if you travel “or live between different places” for an extended period of time – presumably more than 31 days – your account could be locked. The Streamable’s report says that if you go on vacation, you can ask Netflix for a temporary passcode so you can watch content on the platform for “seven consecutive days”.
The number of devices that can be linked to your account depends on your plan. Both the Basic With Ads and Basic plans only support one device. Standard can be connected to two.
Premium, on the other hand, increases the number of devices users can connect to from four to six, according to one recent announcement (opens in new tab). Plus, Premium members can enjoy more spatial audio content as the platform expands the feature to more than 700 of Netflix’s most-watched titles, such as Stranger things.
Different rules
Although Netflix has removed the US page, the rules still exist on the platform’s Costa Rican Help Center (opens in new tab)but they are a little different.
The Costa Rican measure allows Standard and Premium users to add a person who does not live with them to their account for a additional $3 per month (opens in new tab). Additional members must also have their accounts in the same country as the original account owner. Other than that, the rules are the same like you have to sign up and use the service every 31 days. So if you’re thinking about going to Costa Rica, creating an account and then leaving, it doesn’t look like Netflix is going to let that slip.
The Costa Rican version of the rules may not extend to the United States or anywhere else outside of Latin America. The platform does not seem ready to introduce its anti-password sharing measures to a wider audience. We’ve reached out to Netflix to ask when the new rules will roll out in the US (previous reports said March 2023) and will they resemble the Costa Rican measures in any way? This story will be updated if we hear anything.
If you don’t know what to watch on Netflix, be sure to check it out TechRadar’s list of the 30 best movies on the platform.