Disney
Disney Plus has announced that it will start enforcing restrictions on password sharing among its Canadian subscribers. The company sent an email to its customers informing them of the change, which will take effect on November 1. According to the email, Disney Plus will only allow account sharing within the same household. The email warns that they are "implementing restrictions on your ability to share your account or login credentials outside of your household."
The company also updated its Help Center to state that "You may not share your subscription outside of your household" and that it may "analyze the use of your account" to ensure compliance. Violating the subscriber agreement could result in account limits or termination.
The move comes after Disney’s CEO Bob Iger revealed in the Q3 earnings call that the company was "actively exploring" ways to address the issue of password sharing. Iger said that a "significant" number of people are currently sharing passwords across Disney’s services and added that Disney has the "technical capability" to monitor sign-ins.
Disney Plus is not the only streaming service that is trying to curb password sharing. Netflix has been testing similar measures in different countries for over a year and began implementing them in the US in May 2023. Netflix accounts are restricted based on a user’s IP address; subscribers can add additional members to their accounts for an extra fee, depending on the plan they choose. The company said in its Q2 earnings call that its policy has driven more subscribers to the service.
If it's any consolation, Canadian users now have access to the cheaper ad-supported tier of Disney Plus. This might be a good option for those who want to save some money.