Netflix Accidentally Posts New Anti-Password Sharing Guidelines
- Kyle Chua
- Feb 3, 2023
- 2 min read
Netflix might soon charge you an extra fee if it detects someone outside of your household is using your account for extended periods of time.
The streaming giant accidentally posted the new anti-password sharing guidelines across the help centre pages of different markets, including the U.S. on Wednesday, 1 February, as TechCrunch reports. The pages have since been updated as the guidelines aren't applicable to users outside of Chile, Peru and Costa Rica, where the paid sharing feature is being tested.
The in-trial feature allows you to pay for an extra person, who would access and use your account outside of the registered primary location, which is essentially your home. You'll be required to register your location via your TV that you need to connect to your Wi-Fi and account. All devices that connect to the same network would be associated with your primary location, and thus can use Netflix.
However, if you don't have a TV, Netflix would automatically set your primary location based on your IP address, device IDs and activity.
Once your location is registered, those living with you who'll use your account on separate devices must launch the app at home at least once every 31 days.
Also worth noting is that if you don't use Netflix on your devices at home, they likely won't be associated with your primary location. You have to ask the main account holder to verify the device for you through a code that Netflix sends. Once you're verified, you can freely access the app outside of your home for seven days without getting any prompts. As of writing, however, it's still unclear if you can ask for temporary codes multiple times in a row, and if so, how many times.
Netflix noted that it has yet to finalise how paid sharing would work in other markets, though the guidelines do provide a good idea of what you can expect. The company plans a wider roll out for paid sharing in the U.S. within Q1 2023.
Netflix accidentally posted the new anti-password sharing guidelines across the help centre pages of different markets.
The streaming giant is testing paid sharing, a feature allows you to pay for an extra person, who would access and use your account outside of a registered primary location, in Chile, Peru and Costa Rica.
You'll be required to register your location via your TV that you need to connect to your Wi-Fi and account.
Once your location is registered, those living with you who'll use your account on separate devices must launch the app at home at least once every 31 days.
