Netflix is testing a characteristic that fees a price for password sharing, but it surely’s solely taking place in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru — not in america.
Netflix has greater than 221 million subscribers worldwide. That’s greater than some other streaming platform, together with Disney+ and HBO Max.
Reed Hastings, Netflix’s co-founder and CEO, has lengthy acknowledged that many extra individuals than its 221 million subscribers really view the streaming service’s content material due to password sharing. In truth, two research revealed in the course of the coronavirus pandemic estimated nearly a 3rd of Netflix subscribers let individuals who stay outdoors of their family use their account.
Latest headlines are warning those who Netflix will begin cracking down on password sharing by requiring extra password prompts and charging further charges for added customers – and a few subscribers based mostly in america (here, here, and here) are voicing their issues on social media.
THE QUESTION
Is Netflix testing methods to crack down on password sharing in america?
THE SOURCES
- Chengyi Lengthy, director of product innovation at Netflix
- Netflix spokesperson
- Impartial test of Netflix consumer logins in america
THE ANSWER
No, Netflix is just not testing methods to crack down on password sharing in america. That is solely taking place in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru proper now.
WHAT WE FOUND
The controversy surrounding the password-sharing crackdown originated after Chengyi Lengthy, Netflix’s director of product innovation, revealed a information launch titled “Paying to Share Netflix Exterior Your Family” on the streaming service’s web site on March 16.
Within the information launch, Lengthy explains that Netflix will start testing two new options that cost subscribers to share their accounts.
Within the first new characteristic, normal and premium plan Netflix subscribers will be capable to add “sub accounts” for as much as two individuals they don’t stay with for round $3 per member. Within the second new characteristic, Netflix subscribers with primary, normal, and premium plans can allow individuals who share their account to switch profile data both to a brand new account or a “sub account.”
Lengthy makes it clear within the information launch that Netflix is testing these options in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru — not america.
“We’ll be working to know the utility of those two options for members in these three nations earlier than making modifications wherever else on this planet,” Lengthy wrote.
A Netflix spokesperson additionally instructed VERIFY that these checks wouldn’t be happening within the U.S.
“We actually wish to see what learnings we will get from testing this in Chile, Peru, and Costa Rica first earlier than we even take into account going wherever else, however we will affirmatively say that no, the U.S. is just not within the plan,” the spokesperson mentioned.
VERIFY independently checked whether or not Netflix is prompting customers within the U.S. to pay further charges when streaming on accounts outdoors their family and we had been in a position to log in with no points.
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