The cost of streaming services (along with countless other things) continues to incrementally rise, and Netflix once again hiked prices earlier this year. As well, it’s been a little over a year since the streaming service reportedly began putting out feelers for cracking down on password sharing. In other words, using your parents’ account probably wasn’t a practice that could last forever, and Netflix began to send out warnings (and requiring codes) to that effect. That crackdown is growing more serious now, it seems, with additional costs in certain countries.
(Those Bridgerton sex-scene props don’t pay for themselves!)
Variety now reports that Netflix is planning to test the waters with primary account holders starting to pay fees if additional, outside-the-residence users access the primary account. This doesn’t address how mobile viewing will still happen (since the IP-address tracking will obviously grow muddled there), but Netflix’s terms of use certainly state that an account “may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.” Doing so appears to add around $2.99 per month, and the test will begin in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru as formally recognized by the “add an extra member” feature title. That’s still less expensive than purchasing separate plans outside the primary IP address (and Hulu does successfully restrict Live viewing altogether outside the primary residence), but some fuss is bound to happen.
“We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans,” wrote Chengyi Long, director of product innovation at Netflix, on the streaming service’s website. “While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households — impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.”
(Via Variety)