Netflix shares new rules for password sharing

Netflix has started its new crackdown on password sharing with new rules on how accounts can be shared.

After months of warning that anti-password sharing measures were coming, Netflix announced the new rules on its website yesterday detailing the first steps of the crackdown.

Account holders will now have to designate a “primary location” with their television. All devices associated with that account will have to be on the same wifi network. Customers who want to access Netflix on other devices on the network will have to open the app at least once every 31 days.

If someone wanted to watch on a device that isn’t connected to the primary network they would need to get a confirmation code from the account holder. The confirmation code is expected to last seven days before it expires.

The new rules don’t clarify whether customers can get new codes after one expires. If not, it could be an issue for younger people, like students, who, if the temporary codes are restricted, may cancel their Netflix subscription rather than pay for an additional account.

The new rules come as Netflix is trying everything to increase subscribers and crack down on account sharing. In November of last year, the company announced that account holders could kick unwanted devices off their accounts. Additionally, the company launched in that month a cheaper ad-supported subscription plan for $6.99 per month.

The moves have paid off, Netflix said it added 7.7 million subscribers in its 4th quarter report, easily passing its initial projection of 4.5 million.

In the same report, the company suggested that additional moves cracking down on password sharing are coming down the pipe, though the date of these new measures was not specified.