Netflix cracks down on password sharing
The streaming service has been squelching the use of passwords shared by separate homes.
- Best New Journalist 2019 Australian IT Journalism Awards
Netflix has started clamping down on people using passwords shared among different households. Some users have recently reported that they could no longer get past the login screen, with a notification message informing them they needed to be in the same household as the account owner.
"If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching," the message reads, according to user reports on Twitter. A Netflix sign-up button is included with the message.
O no. Netflix doing the purge?!? pic.twitter.com/XXlHtfgfsy
— chante most (@DOP3Sweet) March 9, 2021
In case it's the account owner trying to log in from a different location, Netflix gives the option of sending a verification code. So far, the message reportedly appears only on TV devices. Roku and iPhones are excluded.
Netflix commented on the situation, saying it's more of a security measure, to make sure people are using accounts with permission.
"This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," a spokesperson from Netflix told CNET.
It's unclear whether the measure will affect more devices in the future.
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