Netflix Wants To Stop User Account Sharing With “Add An Extra Member” Feature

Streaming services have for many years been facing the problem of passwords sharing among multiple households. In an attempt to solve this, Netflix is looking for a way to reduce the instances of this by introducing a new “add an extra member” feature that will allow users to add members outside their household.

It isn’t new to Netflix the fact that lots of people share their account login details with others. It’s one of the reasons why the streaming giant introduced separate profiles and allows for multiple simultaneous streams with select plans. The problem is that these features were designed for accounts to be shared under a single roof, not with relatives or friends halfway across the country.

Netflix is testing this feature in 3 countries to begin with, which includes Chile, Costa Rica and Peru. Members who share their account will be shown a prompt to add people from outside their household. For Standard and Premium account holders, Netflix will allow up to two people to be added.

According to Netflix, adding members will be “easy and secure” and the account owner will be a charged a small amount for each extra member. Naturally, the extra cost for adding a member from outside the household will cost lesser than paying for a full extra subscription. To encourage users to add members, Netflix will also introduce a feature to transfer user profiles to new accounts, which will also import their viewing history, My List and personalized recommendations.

In the coming weeks, if Netflix detects that an account is signed in from outside a household, the member will be prompted to verify their account and will be notified about the new options that Netflix offers.

Netflix is only testing this feature for now, and it is unclear whether they will make it permanent or whether they will introduce it to more countries. In countries like Nigeria, there a lot of instances of user account sharing. If Netflix does introduce this feature and enforces it strictly, it is unclear how the Indian user base will react.

In similar move, MultiChoice Group has also stopped the practice of password sharing on its DStv Now streaming service. Password sharing on DStv Now app allows families and friends to share the cost of subscribing to the pay-television operator’s content bouquets. It even becomes easier if you have an unlimited internet connection.

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