Netflix Password Sharing Crackdown Arrives In USA, As It Ends DVD Mailing Service

[RAMROD 117,125]

Netflix’s controversial password sharing crackdown is about to come to the United States and other countries. In its quarterly earnings report today, Netflix revealed that it will expand its paid password sharing system to the United States within the next three months.

The new system, which is currently available in four countries, prevents users from sharing passwords with people outside of their households by requiring a device logged into a Netflix account to log into the home Wi-Fi network of that account at least once every 31 days.

Netflix uses data such as IP addresses, account activity, and device IDs to “determine whether a device signed into your account” is actually associated with the account’s primary location.

In the countries where this policy is currently implemented, which include Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain, Netflix allows users to pay an extra monthly fee for a “sub-account” for people they don’t live with. 

In a note to shareholders, Netflix said that it has been “pleased with the results” of its measures to block users from sharing passwords so far. In Canada, for example, Netflix says that its “paid membership base is now larger than prior to the launch of paid sharing.”

As such, it is “planning on a broad rollout” to more countries, including the United States, in Q2. This means that starting sometime between now and the end of June, Netflix will implement its password sharing crackdown in the United States and a number of other countries. The full list hasn’t been announced just yet, but Netflix has confirmed that the US is included.

Ahead of the implementation of anti-password sharing features, you can visit your Netflix account settings to view devices currently logged into your account. This page also showed details on the location and IP addresses of those devices. This location information is what Netflix will use when determining the “primary location” of your account and associated devices.

All the while, the original Netflix subscription service is coming to an end. Don't worry, the streaming service isn't going anywhere, but the DVD mailing system that made Netflix a household name is officially going away later this year. On Tuesday, Netflix announced the end of the disc delivery system, which will be shipping its final movies on September 29th. This disc shipping system is what signaled the end of the era of video stores like Blockbuster, and bridged the gap for the streaming business Netflix is known for today.

"After an incredible 25 year run, we've decided to wind down DVD.com later this year," Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement. "Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members but as the business continues to shrink that's going to become increasingly difficult. So we want to go out on a high, and will be shipping our final discs on September 29, 2023."

"Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home — and they paved the way for the shift to streaming," Sarandos continued. "From the beginning, our members loved the choice and control that direct-to-consumer entertainment offered: the wide variety of the titles and the ability to binge watch entire series."

In addition to the announcement, Netflix shared some statistics about its 25-year-long journey with its DVD mailing subscription. Beetlejuice was the first DVD ever shipped by Netflix, placed in the mail on March 10, 1998. Over the course of its run, Netflix's DVD subscription mailed over 5.2 billion DVD's, with 40 million subscribers over the years.

Perhaps the most surprising fact about the service is its most popular title. The Blind Side, a sports biopic about former NFL offensive tackle Michael Oher, was the biggest movie in the history of Netflix DVDs. 

 

https://9to5mac.com/2023/04/18/netflix-password-sharing-united-states/

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/netflix-ending-dvd-mailing-subscriptions-2023/

[VasilisVas 5,213]

So what happens if you have an account and log into the tv if you’re at your parents house and want to watch? 

[RichAssPiss 5,042]

**** them

[Just A Holy Fool 2,660]

I’m in Canada and I cancelled my membership. The content has been in decline for years, this was the last straw. 

[Cameltoe Chariot 15,310]

I’m in Canada and I cancelled mine the second they rolled this out. Everyone I know did as well 

[IWantYourLove 1,457]

Jesus Christ this is a load of sh*t

So when it comes to the UK, my elderly grandmother who doesn’t make any money and certainly won’t want to spend what she has on a Netflix subscription, won’t be able to log into my account and watch her little tv shows when she feels like it? It’s not a big deal, but she’s nearly 90, she enjoys it, can Netflix actually f*ck off.

[B2theRich33 2,239]

what was the fee? like i feel they should be disclosing what the price tag is to share the password ahead of time to give their subscribers and idea what they should be paying

[Economy 52,861]

What's with these reactions? Ud think free accounts on a streaming service with content that took money to create and/or acquire is a free birth right u don't have to pay for

 

The only annoying questionable thing I see here is having to log in every 31 days. That's kinda annoying.

 

Also there should be a minimum number of log ins outside main wifi before a charge is made cuz anyone can from time to time access different wifi network of they travelling or visiting a relative and you shouldn't be slapped with extra charges just for that

 

But in principal I don't get the issue. It seems a bit entitled to me to think they are being evil for making u pay for ur own subscription. It's a streaming service. It's not owed to u for free

[TEANUS 16,141]

Makes so much sense that an account my mom and I shared since I was 16 will no longer be accessible to me, as if it’s health insurance or something and I must be kicked off after a certain age 

[TEANUS 16,141]

34 minutes ago, Economy said:

What's with these reactions? Ud think free accounts on a streaming service with content that took money to create and/or acquire is a free birth right u don't have to pay for

 

The only annoying questionable thing I see here is having to log in every 31 days. That's kinda annoying.

 

Also there should be a minimum number of log ins outside main wifi before a charge is made cuz anyone can from time to time access different wifi network of they travelling or visiting a relative and you shouldn't be slapped with extra charges just for that

 

But in principal I don't get the issue. It seems a bit entitled to me to think they are being evil for making u pay for ur own subscription. It's a streaming service. It's not owed to u for free

If you’re paying for a service, it should be your right to share it with whom you wish. None of the work is being resold and no one is making a profit off of sharing a password. This is just greediness on Netflix 

If anything this move is just gonna take more money from creators because more people are gonna try to stream Netflix’s content illegally 

[Economy 52,861]

13 minutes ago, TEANUS said:

If you’re paying for a service, it should be your right to share it with whom you wish. None of the work is being resold and no one is making a profit off of sharing a password, so there’s no issue I’d copyright. 

If anything this move is just gonna take more money from creators because more people are gonna try to stream Netflix’s content illegally 

The digital nature makes it possible to cheat this way but there's no other service u can share with someone if it isn't digital. You pay for your own

 

I do not see why this is different. If other ppl are accessing the service ur diluting the revenue per customer at a price that is already barely profitable in a highly competitive low margin industry it's not like they are price gouging

[TEANUS 16,141]

2 minutes ago, Economy said:

The digital nature makes it possible to cheat this way but there's no other service u can share with someone if it isn't digital. You pay for your own

 

I do not see why this is different. If other ppl are accessing the service ur diluting the revenue per customer at a price that is already barely profitable in a highly competitive low margin industry

Why are you so sensitive to Netflix’s profitability tho? the company is worth around $150 billion. Let it be known this is a very non-friendly move towards consumers in a time where many are struggling financially already. Also not true as far as account sharing, people share gym memberships, loyalty programs, etc. on the daily just to name two examples 

[Economy 52,861]

59 minutes ago, TEANUS said:

Why are you so sensitive to Netflix’s profitability tho? the company is worth around $150 billion. Let it be known this is a very non-friendly move towards consumers in a time where many are struggling financially already. Also not true as far as account sharing, people share gym memberships, loyalty programs, etc. on the daily just to name two examples 

The total size of a company isn't necessarily relevant to it's profitability and whether or not it's prices are fair. A company can be small and have healthy margins and a company can be large and be operating losses. The fact it's worth $150 billion doesn't negate the fact that it's a low profit margin industry and their desire to make everyone pay for their own service should not be surprising

 

As for the examples u brought up... Most of the time ppl do that with rewards or gym sharing they are either doing it when they shouldn't be, or the companies allow them to as part of their pricing promotion. Netflix hasn't done that as part of their pricing 

 

I think it's also fair to take into account that gym sharing or reward tapping is never gonna be done on the same kind of scale as streaming sharing cuz streaming is used by virtually everyone and it doesn't need to be done by someone near where u live. So the amount of ppl doing it will affect revenue a lot more than some ppl lending someone else their gym card

 

At the end of the day it's not like I feel sorry for them. But I can't blame them either for wanting to crack down on free service users that was never part of the deal to begin with