Netflix posted – and then swiftly deleted – new password sharing rules from its website, claiming they were shared in error.
Users across the globe are bracing themselves for the drastic new changes from the streaming service, which argues that password sharing undermines the company’s ‘ability to invest in and improve’ the service.
In a recent letter to shareholders, Netflix said subscribers would be able to ‘pay extra’ to share an account with someone they don’t live with.
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It said: "While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognise this is a change for members who share their account more broadly."
They continued: "As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don’t live with.
"As is the case today, all members will be able to watch while travelling, whether on a TV or mobile device."
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Users will now need to log in at least once every 31 days from their home address or else risk having their account blocked.
Amid the debate that has erupted online since the news broke, many have been wondering exactly how it will work, and what it might mean to their subscription.
The Streamable reports that, earlier this week, Netflix's official domestic Help Center detailed new protocols to prevent users from accessing someone else’s account.
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The outlet said the news that it would be blocking devices ‘without a full explanation’ of what it would mean for people who travel for work, students in college who don’t live with parents or those with multiple homes was ‘not well received by users’.
However, the rules were then removed from the website on Wednesday 1 February, leading to further confusion.
A Netflix spokesperson confirmed that those rules are currently in place, but not for countries like the United States just yet.
They told The Streamable: “For a brief time yesterday, a help center article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, went live in other countries.
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“We have since updated it.”
The spokesperson also said if and when Netflix makes a significant change to its service, it would not roll it out without first communicating all details to its customers.
Topics: Netflix, TV and Film
Jess Hardiman