Netflix users have reported to see a message stating “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.” and are wondering why these messages appear.
A spokesperson from Netflix told BBC that they are testing a new feature which users need to verify first if they live in the same household. This means that, if the user does not live in the same household, they need to either sign-in to their own account, or sign-up for a new account.
To let users verify, Netflix will be sending a code through text messages or through email.
The spokesperson also said that they are trying multiple tests with selected customers. “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
One-third of all Netflix users share their passwords to people outside their household, according to this research by Magid.com.
Netflix has two plans, The basic plan costs about $8.99 (approx. 430php) and the standard plan is $13.99 (approx. 680 php). The standard plans lets users watch Netflix using two screens at a time.
The company was already aware of the password-sharing issue. In 2019, the concept of password-sharing was briefly mentioned, but the company had no plans of doing something about it.
Last year, Netflix had a total of 200 million global subscribers, and gained 37 million more. However, they are not alone, they gained new competitors such as Disney+, HBO Max and Paramount+
SOURCE: BBC.com, Magid Research, NBCUniversal