What we know about Netflix's password-sharing crackdown

Netflix began testing its password crackdown last year. That entailed the service charging extra for those who shared their accounts with people outside of their households. Now, Netflix has plans to release this widely as an official feature or condition for the service. The streaming service hasn't shared the complete details for this feature. But the company is looking for ways to "monetize account sharing" after it recorded its deepest subscriber loss in a decade.

We don't know yet how much it'll cost when Netflix brings it here. But it has varied in the countries where Netflix was testing the option. The service will start rolling out the account-sharing fees before the end of March, with a full, global rollout in the next couple of quarters. The rollout will be progressive across markets. Netflix doesn't plan to start charging everyone globally at the same time. Instead, it'll start in a few places and go from there.

As with the ongoing test in Latin America, the paid password-sharing option is enforced by the service by identifying an account household based on the primary subscriber. It'll then look at IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity from devices logged in to the same account. 

The company said if your account is accessed persistently from a location outside your household or someone signs in to your account from a device not associated with your home, it'll ask the primary account holder to verify. You will get a four-digit verification code via email or the phone number attached to the main account. The code must be entered within 15 minutes or you'll need to request another.

It's currently unclear if that'll stave off Netflix from charging you. Or you might get persistent reminders from Netflix to pay for that extra account. We'll make sure to report back when we get more details.

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