Netflix has removed its new rules for sharing passwords, which were updated recently to prevent multiple users from using the same account.
Despite only announcing the change a few days ago, streaming giant Netflix has reportedly removed its new rules from the official website, according to Streamable. A spokesperson for Netflix clarified that the new guidelines do not yet apply to the United States.
A spokesperson stated, “We have since updated it.” “For a brief period of time yesterday, a help center article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, went live in other countries.”
The spokesperson added that the company would not implement such a significant change without first disclosing all information to customers. Netflix officially confirmed in January that it would begin cracking down on password sharing in the first half of 2023.
Before making the new rules mandatory for the rest of the world, a staggered rollout began in many Latin American nations in an effort to find suitable solutions. The streamer is aware that these measures may cause many users to cancel their subscriptions, but it anticipates that they will ultimately result in an increase in the company’s revenue.
Concerns About Netflix’s New Rules
When the official domestic Help Center announced new protocols stating that all subscribers will soon be required to verify their home devices monthly to ensure uninterrupted service, people were quick to criticize Netflix. Additionally, the guidelines stated that Netflix would block any device outside of a household. The move was immediately criticized for being unnecessarily inconvenient, particularly for college students and people who frequently travel.
“I think there’s a range of motivations for different borrowers,” said Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters about why multiple users share the same account in an earlier announcement. We’re trying to be responsive to that and find the right price points, whether in terms of an individual account or an additional member affordance, because some of it is economically driven.
Peters also talked about how the new system was made to help people who weren’t paying for the service. Peters claims that the restriction on password sharing will “nudge” this group of users to create their own accounts more quickly. The new rules for sharing passwords are currently only being tested in a few countries, but they are expected to be implemented in many more by the end of March 2023.
