The Netflix account sharing compromise means you’re paying for users you don’t live with
Netflix has announced plans to charge you extra if you regularly share your account with users outside of your home.
Users outside of your “main location” will need an “additional member sub-account” starting now in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, and in other parts of the world “generally in the coming months”.
Sub accounts cost less than a standard subscription — though more than it currently costs to share your password with family and friends. In addition, prices seem to vary from country to country, at €4/month in Portugal but €6/month in Spain.
Netflix finalized its plans after several weeks of uncertainty — largely caused by its announcement and quick U-turn plans to actively block devices not connected to your account’s primary location each month.
Even with this new announcement, much remains unclear. How will Netflix enforce these changes? Will signing up for sub accounts be – at least initially – a voluntary step?
For some time, Netflix has taken the stance that your account should be for one household only — although it’s only now taking steps to crack down on those who don’t follow its rules.
We know there has been a lot of confusion about sharing Netflix.
A Netflix account is meant for one household, so we’re rolling out new features in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain (and more broadly in the coming months) to give you more control over your account…
– Netflix (@netflix) February 8, 2023
In January, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters admitted to Variety that the company expects an “exit reaction” to its forthcoming anti-account sharing changes and that it “would not be a universally popular move.”
The changes are meant to be a “gentle nudge” for those not paying, Peters concluded, although it’s easy to see how some level of account sharing could remain.
