Netflix lays out plans to crack down on account sharing

The video-streaming giant, says that 100m people around the world use a shared account. Picture: Jenny Kane/AP

Netflix laid out plans on Wednesday to crack down on password sharing for accounts on its streaming platform, including setting up primary location and paying more for an extra member.

The video-streaming giant, which has estimated that 100m people around the world use a shared account, said that members can now easily manage who has access to their account, transfer profile to a new account, and still easily watch Netflix on their personal devices or log into a new TV.

"So over the last year, we've been exploring different approaches to address this issue in Latin America, and we're now ready to roll them out more broadly in the coming months, starting today in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain," the company said in a blog post.

Members on Netflix's standard or premium plan in many countries can add an extra member sub-account for up to two people for an extra C$7.99 a month per person in Canada, NZD$7.99 in New Zealand, €3.99 in Portugal, and €5.99 in Spain, the company said.

The company lost subscribers in the first half of 2022 amidst stiff competition from rivals, prompting it to look more seriously into password-sharing as well as launching an ad-supported plan.

Reuters