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Netflix may address password sharing

No plans for change just yet, but Netflix may address password sharing in the future.

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Netflix is looking to crack down on sharing account passwords in the future.

The streaming service announced the plans during a quarterly earnings call. Netflix’s product chief Greg Peters says the company is aware users share their information.

Netflix currently limits the number of devices that can stream from one account.

In a recent video interview, Netflix CFO Spencer Neumann was asked if the “mature growth trajectory” of Netflix in the US meant password sharing / stealing is something the service intends to address. Neumann responded by stating, “We continue to monitor it … we’ll see those consumer-friendly ways to push on the edges of that … we have no big plans to announce at this time in terms of doing something differently there.”

Source: WGNTV, Mashable

7 Responses

  1. Netflix is not making money, they are buying market share. At some point they will have to raise prices and it makes more sense to target freeloaders than have higher prices for loyal subscribers.

  2. If subscribers pay a higher price for a family pack, does it really matter where the individual family members are or if they are actually family members at all? The extra payment is to cover concurrent connections and not the eyeballs owners.
    Netflix would have known about this loophole from the start. If they limit subscribers to a single IP address then the sale of WiFi extenders and external aerials will soar. Let’s not even think about P2P.

  3. This will only drive people to other services or put people off from subscribing at all, unless they plan on dropping their prices accordingly. Plus, I’m sure that many split the cost between themselves, as the overall expense of the ever-growing number of streaming services may not be sustainable for a lot of people, even though they are ridiculously cheap when compared to buying content a la carte (be it physical media or digital).

    I am not subscribed to any streaming services yet (I have far too many Blu-rays/DVDs stockpiled to last me a few good years!), but I would not be keen on subscribing to a service that limits my viewing options.

  4. I’m sure Netflix can follow the antivirus software companies if they really wanted and identify the devices being used, so (for example) if you try to use Netflix on a Smart Phone you will be requested to remove Netflix from another device to do so. This would be a more logical solution as a paying subscriber would have to lose Netflix access to provide to others who obviously get it for free. Netflix do notify when a new sign up takes place so they are fully aware of the number of probable freebies.
    I believe Foxtel Now notifies consumers if too many devices are being used.

    1. This is almost exactly what Foxtel Go/Now does. If you have signed in previously on 5 devices and then try to log in with a 6th, you have to remove one of the existing 5 to log in with the new one.

  5. Shirley they can’t be serious?

    The extra viewers likely would not subscribe if they closed the “loophole” so how much revenue do they actually lose?

    Yet they throw billions of dollars around like there’s no tomorrow and pay Hollywood stars millions.

    Yep, lets go after the little people.

  6. How can they legitimately address it though? I have two houses, so therefore I use it in both – never at the same time though. And sometimes I’ll sit on the couch with my iPad watching something on it while my husband watches something different on the television on Netflix. If I’m on holidays, I’ll take my iPad and chromecast to the tv. That’s all legitimate activity, that’s why I pay the higher price for more screens.

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