Some users have reported a pop-up screen that says, “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching,” as per the most recent updates.
Users are then asked to confirm their access by entering a special code that is sent to them via text or email. This may be the start of a crackdown on password sharing on the app, which is common among users.
However, it is unclear if the organization intends to distribute the message across all platforms.
A spokesperson was quoted as saying, “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are allowed to do so.”
The update appears out of place for a company whose co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings said in 2016, “Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with because there’s so much legitimate password sharing, like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids, so there’s no bright line, and we’re doing fine as is.”
Netflix has earned about 37 million new customers and raked in around $25 billion in sales as a result of the pandemic and the closing of cinemas and theaters.
