Here's How Netflix Plans to Crack Down on Password Sharing

Nothing lasts forever

BY Sydney BrasilPublished Feb 1, 2023

It's a bad day for those of us still mooching off of someone else's Netflix account. The streaming giant has revealed how it'll crack down on password sharing this year, and unless you log in on a portable device, it's not looking good. 

In order to stay logged in to an account associated with an address that's not one's own, Netflix will prompt users to connect to the WiFi associated with the account's address, log in and watch something every 31 days. If a user tries to log in to the account from elsewhere, they'll be prompted to sign up for their own account and be blocked from access until they do [via The Streamable].

UPDATE (3/2, 3:05 p.m. ET): Netflix has removed the new password-sharing rules from its website, saying that they are only currently in place in certain countries. "For a brief time yesterday, a help centre article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, went live in other countries," a spokesperson told The Streamable. "We have since updated it."

Netflix will use IP addresses and device IDs to ensure everyone streaming from any given account is doing so from its verified address. If a user gets wrongfully blocked, they'll have to contact Netflix directly. 

Those who give in to Netflix's pressure will be able to transfer their profile so that they can keep their viewing history and show recommendations on their new account. How kind!

If you're wondering if you'll be able to use your account while travelling, you can request a temporary login code that will keeps you logged in for seven consecutive days.

And sure, maybe people who live close enough to their parents will be able to exploit the loophole — as long as their Netflix-watching device is portable — but it looks like anyone still revenge-watching on their ex's account is about to run out of luck. 

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