NETFLIX AND NO CHILL

Netflix’s Crackdown on Password Sharing Has Begun

Users in the U.S. now have to either transfer their profile to a new membership or pay an extra $7.99 a month per non-household person.

The days of sharing Netflix passwords are over. From here on out, American subscribers will no longer be able to share accounts with people outside their household, which Netflix defined in a Tuesday blog post as “you and the people you live with.” While Netflix has teased the new rules for months—and already went live with them in Canada, Portugal, Spain, and New Zealand—the rollout of the crackdown in the U.S. marks a new phase in the attempts to increase subscriber numbers and revenue. To share Netflix accounts with people outside of the household, the options are now either to transfer the profile to a new membership or “buy an extra member” for $7.99 a month, per person. “We recognize that our members have many entertainment choices,” Netflix wrote in its blog post. “It’s why we continue to invest heavily in a wide variety of new films and TV shows—so whatever your taste, mood or language and whoever you’re watching with, there’s always something satisfying to watch on Netflix.”