Implications of Netflix sharing crackdown

[SecretlyFI]

Today I started to see headlines about Netflix announcing they will be starting to charge for sharing of accounts/passwords in the new year. I read one article that indicated they will define “sharing” as anyone outside your “household”. It indicated it would detect anyone watching it outside your home location. I’m not a techie but I assume it would know this via info on your ip address and/or what network you’re using?

We pay for Netflix each month and use it on multiple TV’s at home. It asks who is watching-me, DH or DS-I guess these are profiles on our 1 account. Our son is away at college and is able to login and watch on the tv in his dorm, using our login info. I don’t see that as “sharing” because he is part of our household. So does this mean members of the same household will be charged more if they watch Netflix at a different place than their own home? Kids away at college, people with 2nd homes seem like the most common examples. Does anyone have anymore detail about this and how to prove you’re still part of the same household vs someone else?

 

[njhowie]

Our son is away at college and is able to login and watch on the tv in his dorm, using our login info. I don’t see that as “sharing” because he is part of our household. So does this mean members of the same household will be charged more if they watch Netflix at a different place than their own home? Kids away at college, people with 2nd homes seem like the most common examples. Does anyone have anymore detail about this and how to prove you’re still part of the same household vs someone else?

How you define household is completely irrelevant.

By Netflix's definition, household is the physical location. Your son, away at college is not part of your household.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/124925

A Netflix account is for people who live together in a single household. This single household is the Netflix household and is associated with the primary account owner’s devices and the devices used by other people who live in the Netflix household.

 

[aaronc879]

So even if only one person uses the account they can only use it from home? You can't watch Netflix while on vacation or at work? Seems like they will lose a lot of subscriptions if that is the case. Limit it to one person per account of even one device per account but that one person should be able to access it from any location.

 

[njhowie]

I am sure there will be lots of questions and folks trying to work around what Netflix is trying to do.

If anyone is unsure of how it will affect them, obviously the best thing to do is contact Netflix directly and ask. I'm only relaying how I am reading the info which they've provided.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I’ve read about this and I’m annoyed with Netflix.
I pay the higher amount per month so that we can have several people accessing the account. Me, adult kids, grandkids.
I have paid the premium amount for years based on the information that what we were doing is allowed.
I could have just opted to pay the lower amount and share it anyway but I didn’t.
If they restrict access to one location or device then they can stuff it.

 

[CaliKid]

I’ve read about this and I’m annoyed with Netflix.
I pay the higher amount per month so that we can have several people accessing the account. Me, adult kids, grandkids.
I have paid the premium amount for years based on the information that what we were doing is allowed.
I could have just opted to pay the lower amount and share it anyway but I didn’t.
If they restrict access to one location or device then they can stuff it.

I believe the sharing was always technically against the rules. They just didn't enforce it. I could be wrong on that but I think most streaming services have had a definition of a household to include those living in one place. The type of service you get didn't make it ok to break the rules... even though many of us did the same. I am not casting stones.

 

[audreyh1]

As long as I can watch it on all my mobile devices including my car!

I’ve noticed people leave themselves logged in at vacation rentals TVs. Twice I’ve been able to watch a streaming service of interest. I won’t log myself in as I don’t want to enter my credentials in someone else’s TV.

 

[audreyh1]

So even if only one person uses the account they can only use it from home? You can't watch Netflix while on vacation or at work? Seems like they will lose a lot of subscriptions if that is the case. Limit it to one person per account of even one device per account but that one person should be able to access it from any location.

No, that’s not what that says. You can use it on your devices wherever you are.

 

[aaronc879]

As long as I can watch it on all my mobile devices including my car!

I’ve noticed people leave themselves logged in at vacation rentals TVs. Twice I’ve been able to watch a streaming service of interest. I won’t log myself in as I don’t want to enter my credentials in someone else’s TV.

It definitely should not work while the car is in gear but if you are parked you should be able to watch netflix in your car.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I believe the sharing was always technically against the rules. They just didn't enforce it. I could be wrong on that but I think most streaming services have had a definition of a household to include those living in one place. The type of service you get didn't make it ok to break the rules... even though many of us did the same. I am not casting stones.

It was my understanding- and maybe I read it wrong which is totally possible- that the purpose of paying the higher monthly amount was so the grandkids could go between parents house and grandparents house and still have their profiles and shows. As an example but that’s what I used it for.
I actually thought I was paying about double the normal amount though so maybe that’s how? I know I pay twice the amount my single brother did.
My account has been set up for years. It morphed from dvd to streaming.
Netflix was one of the ones with the most flexibility in account sharing and actually encouraged people to use their password at different locations.

I do remember back in the day when Netflix was going to increase their basic account monthly amount and they lost so many subscribers that they retracted. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[cathy63]

It definitely should not work while the car is in gear but if you are parked you should be able to watch netflix in your car.

Or maybe if you're the passenger?

 

[Fire2019]

How you define household is completely irrelevant.

By Netflix's definition, household is the physical location. Your son, away at college is not part of your household.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/124925

Interesting interpretation you have since no where in the Netflix definition you quoted does it say anything about physical location. I believe this is part of Netflix's problem, how to limit it without limiting multiple locations.

 

[statsman]

Our kid put their Netflix account on our TV to use when they visit us, mostly during the holiday visits. We don't use the account when they're away. How will this impact their use on our TV during visits? This is probably similar to the vacation question mentioned earlier.

 

[youbet]

Is anyone familiar with whether other paid streaming services are having these problems with unauthorized password sharing?

Also, I noted that on one of the CNBC segments today, there was a lot of discussion regarding the value of Netflix's stock if they can't solve the unauthorized password sharing problem without driving away customers. Either way causes a significant revenue hit.

 

[SecretlyFI]

No, that’s not what that says. You can use it on your devices wherever you are.

I hope you’re right because then my son should be able to watch it in his dorm just like he watches in his room when he’s home. With the college schedule and being an in-state school, he’s home 16 weeks for the summer, 4 weeks in the winter, 1 week for spring break, 1 week for Thanksgiving and many weekends in between. In other words, home more often than not. Even the IRS still considers him part of our household (thank goodness) - and I have the grocery bills to prove it!

Having said this, it’s exactly why I was asking how they would enforce this. How would they distinguish that he’s part of our paid membership vs someone else on his campus if they logged in with his credentials?

 

[youbet]

Having said this, it’s exactly why I was asking how they would enforce this. How would they distinguish that he’s part of our paid membership vs someone else on his campus if they logged in with his credentials?

That seems to be Netflix's problem. People stealing service by sharing passwords (sometimes on campuses or campus-like settings) with non-authorized users. Netflix can detect an unauthorized device or Internet connection and will request (from time to time) that the user verify the device and/or Internet connection by entering a code which is emailed or text'd.

 

[audreyh1]

Is anyone familiar with whether other paid streaming services are having these problems with unauthorized password sharing?

Also, I noted that on one of the CNBC segments today, there was a lot of discussion regarding the value of Netflix's stock if they can't solve the unauthorized password sharing problem without driving away customers. Either way causes a significant revenue hit.

All streaming services are just as vulnerable. I don’t see any exceptions.

Some have a limit of how many devices can watch video at the same time. I thought Netflix already did this. Most streaming services seem to be aware of how many devices you have logged into. I certainly get notified of any new device.

 

[SecretlyFI]

That seems to be Netflix's problem. People stealing service by sharing passwords (sometimes on campuses or campus-like settings) with non-authorized users. Netflix can detect an unauthorized device or Internet connection and will request (from time to time) that the user verify the device and/or Internet connection by entering a code which is emailed or text'd.

I’d be fine with that. All 3 of us could be verified and watch from anywhere. I am just hoping this is what will be possible and not that watching outside of our house is either disallowed or results in extra charges.

 

[Sunset]

Netflix sent out emails about a new feature to let anyone using your account to transfer over all their setting/view to a new account.

I think Netflix is first trying the gentle approach and will see how many new accounts they get by just making it easy for people to break away from borrowing a friends account.

 

[njhowie]

Interesting interpretation you have since no where in the Netflix definition you quoted does it say anything about physical location. I believe this is part of Netflix's problem, how to limit it without limiting multiple locations.

In my quote, I believe the words "live in" pretty well indicate that it is the physical residence.

It is additionally implied by the rest of the FAQ which references using IP addresses for making the determination.

How Netflix detects devices within a household

We use information such as IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity.

 

[disneysteve]

I’d be fine with that. All 3 of us could be verified and watch from anywhere. I am just hoping this is what will be possible and not that watching outside of our house is either disallowed or results in extra charges.

Exactly. When we travel I log in on the smart tv in the hotel room. I hope that is still allowed. Not my device. Not my IP.

 

[eytonxav]

Netflix has lost a lot of customers, I am not sure this will help with that or improve their revenue stream. That said, if you have a vpn, doesn't that hide your IP address and location.

 

[youbet]

Netflix has lost a lot of customers, I am not sure this will help with that or improve their revenue stream. That said, if you have a vpn, doesn't that hide your IP address and location.

They can still detect you’re not on your home network and they might ask you to enter a code text’d to your phone or emailed to you.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Netflix sent out emails about a new feature to let anyone using your account to transfer over all their setting/view to a new account.

I think Netflix is first trying the gentle approach and will see how many new accounts they get by just making it easy for people to break away from borrowing a friends account.

I’ll look for that email.
Honestly, Netflix sends me so many emails I tend to ignore them. I don’t recall seeing this one.

Thanks for posting this information!

 

[disneysteve]

They can still detect you’re not on your home network and they might ask you to enter a code text’d to your phone or emailed to you.

That still allows account sharing of course. My friend logs in with my account and I text him the code.