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Summary
- Netflix is devising a way to crackdown on password sharing.
- Some users reported seeing a pop-up on their screens asking them to have own accounts if they did not live with the owner of the account.
In what could be the end of password sharing in peer groups, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is devising a way to stop you from sharing your password by introducing a new pop-up feature. Some users of the OTT platform have reported seeing a pop-up on their screens that asked users to have own accounts if they are physically staying with the account holder.
The new feature was being tested on a group of Netflix users who were asked to confirm whether they lived with the account owner by entering details that were sent to the owner as an email or a text message.
According to media reports, a company spokesperson said that the test was being designed to ensure that those using Netflix accounts had authorisation for it. It has, however, not been decided whether this would be introduced across its networks.
Those using the same account could delay the verification process and continue watching Netflix, but the message would appear each time they open Netflix, and eventually, a new account might have to be created to continue streaming.
According to the terms and conditions for OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, and Disney+, users can create different profiles within one account, but it is only meant for people living in the same household.
Also read: Why did the streaming video service Quibi fall?
Netflix has so far not done anything except putting a limit on simultaneous viewing; Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings had said in 2019 that the company had come to accept password sharing as a reality because a large part of it is legitimate sharing, though he had also said that the company was looking ways to enforce password sharing.
Through the pandemic OTT platforms saw demand shooting up. Last month, Netflix's viewership hit 200 million users and the stock has been up almost 50 per cent since March 2020. However, 2021 might not be able to continue the demand surge as economic activities are expected to normalise in 2021.
