Netflix has announced plans to ban users from sharing passwords with other people who don't live in the same house. Now, their way of enforcing these rules has been revealed.
Netflix recently accidentally shared its method of preventing users from sharing passwords. The guideline was uploaded on the Netflix Help Center page in the United States and several other countries, but was later revoked.
"For a short time yesterday, a help center article containing information that only applies to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru was shown in other countries. We have updated it," a Netflix spokesperson said, as quoted by The Guardian, Friday (3/2/ 2023).
Netflix itself has been testing the 'Extra Member' service in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru since last year, but not in the US or other countries. Users who want to share Netflix passwords with other people who don't live in the same house can pay an additional fee, which varies in each country.
To ensure that the Netflix account and password are not shared with other people who are not at home, users are required to connect the device used for streaming (TV, cellphone, or tablet) to Wi-Fi in their home, open the Netflix application, and watch something at least once every 31 days .
This new rule will be a little difficult for users who travel a lot but still want to watch Netflix content. This is because when a user logs in to a Netflix account that is not in the main location, the device used for the login can be blocked.
To solve this problem, the subscription streaming platform provides a solution, namely users can request a temporary code that allows them to access Netflix for seven days.
Netflix itself will use information such as IP address, device ID, and account activity to determine whether the device used to log into the account is connected to the user's main location.
Currently, Netflix is still testing the ban on sharing passwords in three countries. But the emergence of these new guidelines indicates the policy will be rolled out in more countries in the near future.