Netflix Will Crack Down on Password Sharing in 2023

Our parasite days are over. It might be time to finally get your own Netflix account instead of leeching on your ex’s account because Netflix’s password crackdown is upon us. In early 2023, Netflix will be rolling out its anti-password sharing measures. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, these measures will be administered in the United States first, but if they prove fruitful, it’s only a matter of time before they expand to Southeast Asia.

Netflix has been playing with its anti-password-sharing strategies for a while, particularly in countries like Peru, Costa Rica, and Chile. Users in these countries receive prompts when Netflix detects that they are not the primary account owner, then they only have 15 minutes to enter a verification code sent to the primary account owner.

When this happens, you have two options: You can either pay an additional monthly sharing fee to get rid of the prompts or transfer your profile to your own (paid) account.

According to the WSJ, the sharing fee will reportedly be only a little less than the standard $6.99 ad-supported plan. Given its low price difference, users might be encouraged to just set up their own account and pay the full subscription to have full control over their account.

Either way, Netflix will make money, which it might really need.

In April 2022, Netflix reported its first record of subscriber losses, which affected stock prices and investor confidence. If Netflix can’t grow its subscriber base with Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ as its competitors, it might be able to grow its revenues by focusing on the subscribers who aren’t paying the full amount.

It might take a few months, or even years, before it’s rolled out in the Philippines. So freeloaders, here’s a heads up.