Brits are ‘moving’ to Turkey to avoid Netflix password-sharing crackdown
There's been reports for a while that Netflix will be cracking down on people who share their passwords with multiple friends and family members, forcing them to pay for their own accounts.
And, sadly for those scrimpers who managed to make use of the nifty trick, that those rumours are now coming true.
As of Tuesday 23 May, Netflix users in the UK must pay extra for additional people who want to watch through their account.
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Netflix said in a statement on their website: "Starting today, we will be sending this email to members who are sharing Netflix outside their household in the United Kingdom.
"A Netflix account is for use by one household. Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are – at home, on the go, on holiday – and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices."
Netflix has offered one way to combat the crackdown, telling those with subscriptions that they can add an extra member to their Netflix account for £4.99 so they can share it with someone they don't live with, but some sneaky users have found an even cheaper solution.
One Netflix member took to Reddit to see what other users of the platform think to the new rules.
They asked: "Netflix have started sending out emails about account sharing. What are you planning to do?
"Personally I'm cancelling as I'm rarely using it anymore these days. I though the latest big deal Beef was rubbish and that kinda put the nail in the coffin for me."
One person wrote that they'd 'moved' to Turkey as a way of overcoming the issue, hinting at using a VPN to change their location and use the Netflix account as though they lived in that country.
The password sharing crackdown is yet to take place in Turkey, so this should mean they're safe for a few more months.
They even went as far as telling people how to do it correctly, including using a Netflix Turkey gift card and waiting a few weeks to use the account after this, writing: "Just be patient. Once it works, it works."
Elsewhere on the Reddit thread, others vented their frustration that you still have to connect to a home device once every 31 days for Netflix to work, making it difficult for those who travel often or live abroad.
One person who will be affected by this wrote: "What a joke. I use mine during weekends and school holidays at our family caravan. It's still me using it. Just at a different address."
In response to these complaints, Netflix has come up with a way to help people who are often away from home.
You can request a four-digit verification code be sent to the primary account holder, and if this is inputted within 15 minutes, you'll have access to Netflix for the next seven days.
Netflix explains that 'if you are traveling or live between different homes, we want you to be able to enjoy Netflix anywhere, anytime. If you are the primary account owner (or live with them), you shouldn’t need to verify your device to watch Netflix'.
Harley Young