This week, Netflix put an end to users’ waiting: It’s no longer possible to share your password with your loved ones. Or at least it is no longer possible to do it for free, because the operation is now costly. € 5.99 per month to the account holder. In an email to its subscribers, the SVOD platform “vYour Netflix account is for you and the people who live with you, your home. » Tone set.
Theoretically, all people on an account that does not belong to them will therefore no longer be able to access the account once the owner defines their home address as their home. Now, users who connect to the account from this address and over the same Wi-Fi network will be able to benefit from the catalog without fear of being blocked. But this is for theory.
Netflix users in the dark after account sharing ends
In social networks the question remains: How does measurement actually work? Indeed, everyone seems to have a different experience so far. At writing Moyens I/O, we were able to experience end-of-account sharing from a device using another person’s account. Last night, when trying to connect to this account from a TV, the app asked for proof that it was the real owner of the account.
For this, Netflix reminded that it is necessary to connect from home, configured by the latter. It was impossible to execute it as it was not at the same address at the time. The catalog remained closed to us for the rest of the night.
But when trying to reconnect this morning, the surprise came: Netflix opened its doors to us. We tested it on other devices and got the same result. We no longer have problems viewing content on the platform on a TV, PC or smartphone. FOR THIS REASON, What happened last night?
How does Netflix plan to end account sharing?
First of all, it should be noted that what will happen next is only conjecture. We’ve reached out to Netflix for more information, but we’re still awaiting a response from the company. Still, based on what we already know about Netflix’s surveillance techniques, we can try to draw some conclusions from our experience the day before.
So we know that Netflix allows account holders and their loved ones to connect from anywhere outside of their home. This only seems obvious when users go on vacation. In contrast, Netflix mandates connecting from the main WiFi network at least once a month. service to check if everything is ok, “IP addresses, device identifiers and account activity”, on his terms.
Here is our theory. When trying to log in last night, Netflix may have detected that the real owner of the account is also watching content, thanks to two different IP addresses and device IDs. Detecting that this activity was not in compliance with its new regulation, the platform blocked our connection attempt.
That explains why we managed to connect to several devices this morning. Netflix, which has been using this account for a while, may not have yet determined what the real household of the account holder and their relatives are. What’s more, it may be a few more weeks before the platform, which gives it a month to connect to the WiFi network of this main address, loses access completely.
What does this mean for users? Right now, it’s still hard to know exactly what Netflix has in store for us. The email sent to the account holders encourages them to establish their main household, but does not specify what will happen to the users with whom the password is shared. On the other hand, the platform takes care to remind you as soon as it detects a new connection: “’Only members of your household can use your account’.
One thing is for sure, all this is still very vague. While Netflix has officially launched hostilities against non-subscribers, it’s time for official communication to clear things up.
