Netflix to prevent account sharing outside household

Netflix may soon prevent subscribers from sharing access to their accounts if they don’t live in the same household.

Photo from @DOP3Sweet

Some Netflix users have been reporting that they cannot access the streaming service if they don’t live with the owner, and instead will get a message saying “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.” This will irk subscribers who really intend to share accounts with family members or friends who live in separate locations.

A Netflix spokesperson told The Streamable, that is a “test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.”  This aligns with the Netflix Terms of Use, stating that “the Netflix service and any content viewed through our service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.”

Netflix didn’t reveal its methods, though, on how it would identify users who are in the household or not but based on the photo above, users can still access as long as they can get the verification code from the account owner.

Again, this is still a test and is yet to roll out globally, but if you’re already experiencing it, share it with us in the comments below.

Source: The Streamable, twitter/DOP3Sweet