Netflix tests new security feature that will stop account sharing
The
streaming giant knows how many users share accounts and plans to crack down on
this activity.
Over the past decade, as streaming became a global phenomenon and the future of content consumption, Netflix users have been finding ways to get around paying the monthly subscription fee. Today, many still use the account details of their parents, friends, partners, and even their exes simply because they know the account and password details. However, the streaming giant has put a new test in place to crack down on this behaviour.
Netflix has started rolling out a message on certain accounts saying, "If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching."
Users are then given the option to verify their identity through a code that will either be sent via text message or e-mail to the account holder. Users are also given the option to 'verify later' which allows viewers to keep watching their favourite movies and series for a period of time before they will be forced to input a code.
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Netflix confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the test is part of a new campaign to stop people using the service without a subscription of their own. "This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," a spokesperson said.
At the moment, it is unclear which
countries Netflix will be enforcing the test in, but the publication says that
it expects Netflix will roll the test out steadily across the world to increase
security and protect people's accounts from freeloaders.
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Users will technically still be able to use other people’s accounts as long as the account holder knows that you are using their details and is happy to share a code when asked.
This is the next step in Netflix’s security crackdown after introducing an additional security clearance method last year that required users add a four-digit code to protect individual accounts once logged in.
Whose Netflix account do you use? Let Vic know in the comments section below.
Image courtesy: Pixabay