Netflix, the new rules on password sharing

Since March the passwords of Netflix they can no longer be shared. This will send into crisis not only many platforms which, on the ridge of legality, have organized themselves to favor exchanges between users to divide the subscription fee. But also those who, more modestly, have simply given the password to a family member or friend who live elsewhere. Even if it was downstairs. Yes, because in fact what was already foreseen by the conditions of use of the streaming platform will come now more severely implemented with a series of cross-checks which will be more difficult to escape.

Here’s how it will work: the household (and no longer familiar) will travel parallel to the «main position». This position, linked to the account holder, will be established on the basis of the connection used for the first access and verified by IP address and to some device identifiers that will connect from that specific network. In this way, all devices will be considered as part of the household – even if they still have a limit of contemporary vision fixed at a maximum of four devices in the most expensive plan – accessing the account from the same primary location at least once every 31 days. In all other cases – devices that do not connect for more than 31 days, devices that connect from other places or devices never registered before – a verification will be triggered.

Verification consists of a link sent to the email address or phone number associated with the primary account holder through which to obtain a four-digit verification code. This code must be entered on the device from which it was requested within 15 minutes.

So all resolved? To continue sharing, just pass this code to each other? Yes and no, because the verification will go performed every 7 days. Not exactly the most comfortable. Kind of heavy nudging through which the group wants to recover users, prune the mass of around 100 million non-subscribers who are estimated to use the service and – although the latest numbers have been higher than expected with 7.6 million more subscribers in the last three months and a total of over 230 million paying accounts – try to monetize with cheaper or ancillary subscriptions than the main account.

As we said, the number of devices that can view content at the same time remains linked to the tariff plan (one, two or four) and also to the fact that they still have to – another obstacle to long-term sharing – belong to the household by connecting to the owner’s Wi-Fi at least once a month. All this perhaps still makes sharing for shorter periods feasible, for example to allow friends and relatives who do not live with us for a week of binge-watching but, in the long run, between codes and the need to connect a smart TV or tablet to the home network, it will certainly have a profound effect on consolidated sharing. However, some central aspects remain to be clarified. One above all: sending verification codes will be tied to a maximum limitsuch as weekly or monthly?

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