Netflix did not specify how to share passwords, but may have a limited device and/or IP addresses. As you may already be aware, the streaming platform currently limits the number of devices capable of streaming accounts together, but we found that more stringent policies are being implemented. In an interview on YouTube, Michael Morris of Guggenheim Securities asked Greg Peters, Netflix’s chief product officer, about password sharing. “Another thing we haven’t talked about in a short time is sharing or stealing passwords or whatever you want to call. As we get to a more mature growth trajectory in the United States, do you come back with something important to address? And how do you address that, you know, isolating a certain part of your user base, how do you balance that?”
The answer does not seem to be an alarm bell. “We’re continuing to monitor it, so we’re looking at the situation,” Peters told Morris. And you know we’re getting customer-friendly ways to enjoy those edges slowly, but we don’t have any big plans to announce at the moment to do something different there!”
You may have seen the apocalyptic news that Netflix has been planning to stop us from sharing passwords spread on the internet for the past few days. But do not panic! Seen as a great example of Internet-based Chinese whispers, a comment in an interview with Netflix Q3 Earnings ignited the web with concern about the upcoming and non-existent password-sharing crackdown.
Sharing passwords for access to streaming content is a bit annoying when it comes to some ethics and even legitimacy. The issue of sharing in the United States could come under the Computer Fraud and Objection Act, 1974, which was often criticized for not keeping up with the times.
At least they weren’t in 2016. Back then, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings didn’t care. Indeed, quite the opposite. Fortunately, it is very unlikely that anyone will actually be judged by it. According to Netflix policy, account holders should not share their passwords with anyone, but higher-ups on Netflix do not seem to be too worried. Hopefully, if you are worried about the impending crackdown, it will make your mind feel comfortable.
