Netflix’s revised plan to end password sharing has begun the rollout beyond its initial test countries in several Latin American markets. The streamer has now expanded its password crackdown to four new countries – Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain.
In those countries, it has launched “extra member” subaccount fees. The charges ask subscribers, whose membership is being used beyond one “primary location,” to pay extra for one or two subaccounts.
The extra-member charge is currently C$8 a month in Canada, NZ$8 in New Zealand, 4 euros in Portugal, and 6 euros in Spain. Netflix hasn’t specified a timeline for when other countries, like the United States or Australia, would launch the fees.
With more than 230 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix believes more than 100 million accounts are sharing. Netflix quietly published details regarding its password-sharing policies on its U.S. Help site the other week, the details picked up by various news outlets.
The streamer quickly clarified that the guidelines on the page had been published by accident and its policies for the U.S. weren’t yet locked. By then though the damage was done and now many are confused as to how the new system works.
It’s especially confusing in regard to those who travel or who share a single household account. The rules also reportedly indicated subscribers would have to log into the Netflix app on their home network at least once every 31 days or risk having their account access blocked.
Source: CNet, TechCrunch
