Netflix accidentally leaked their new policy to crack down on users who share their passwords to their accounts with others on their help center page.  

They later removed the FAQ page, saying that the content was meant for another country and was published by mistake.  

The policy will begin effective sometime in March of this year. 

According to The Streamable, there has been an estimation that over 100 million Netflix’s users, worldwide, use the service through another person’s login credentials. The company believes that by putting an end to account sharing, this policy will bring a new influx of revenue for them. 

Accounts are still shareable within one household. For the devices that are associated with the user’s primary location to be ensured, Netflix is assuring that their users connect to the Wi-Fi network at their primary location, open the Netflix app or website, and watch something at least once every 31 days. 

Users who try to sign into someone else’s account elsewhere, Netflix will prompt them to sign up for their own account and will block their access until they have created their own account. They will not begin automatically charging account holders whose information has been used outside of their homes. 

Netflix offers their users a profile transfer feature which will allow them to migrate their show recommendations, watch history, and more to their own account if they have decided to create one.  

Users who try to sign into someone else’s account elsewhere, Netflix will prompt them to sign up for their own account and will block their access until they have created their own account. They will not begin automatically charging account holders whose information has been used outside of their homes. This will give password sharers the opportunity to preserve their profile if they want to sign up their own Netflix accounts.  

When signing into Netflix outside of the user’s home, this could lead the device in use being blocked access from Netflix. This would prevent the user from signing into new devices while traveling, however, there is a work around.  

People who are traveling and want to use their Netflix account on a hotel smart TV, their company’s laptop, etc. can request a temporary code from the service when they are signing in. They will have access to their account for seven consecutive days. 

By signing into the home Wi-Fi at least once every 31 days on your devices, they become “trusted devices”, which Netflix will remember and leave unblocked. If a person’s device has been blocked incorrectly, they must contact Netflix to get it unblocked. 

To decide whether a device the person signs in is connected or not to their primary location, Netflix uses information such as their IP address, device ID, and account activity. If their device is being used outside of their home by a person they haven’t authorized, they can sign into their account, sign out on all other devices, and change the password. 

Netflix currently offers four distinct price tiers. The number of simultaneous streams varies depending on which tier they are subscribed to. Basic is $9.99 per month one device while Basic with ads is $6.99 per month on one device. Standard is $15.99 per month on two devices, and Premium is $19.99 per month on four devices. 

According to Wired, Netflix started testing methods to charge users a small fee of $3 when someone outside of the home has accessed their account in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru last year. 

“They’re going to lose a lot of customers. There are many other platforms that allow password sharing,” said Annette Arellano, an employee at the CLS Department at Barker and Taylor.  

Arellano has been an active user of Netflix for five years now. She said she will try to put up with the new policy when it becomes effective, but once it becomes too difficult for her to use, she will cancel her subscription and will go to Hulu instead. 

She said she isn’t worried about Netflix’s new policy because she can always cancel her subscription if it doesn’t fit her lifestyle anymore. “They need us more than we need them,” said Arellano. 

This new policy doesn’t only affect families but college students as well.  

“I think this plan could affect Netflix in a negative way because with all the different streaming services out there nowadays, I could see some people being upset by this new policy and moving onto something else.”- Noah Walksler, a UNG junior majoring in Interdisciplinary studies on the Gainesville campus 

Walksler watches Netflix by sharing the account with his parents. He said that he believes they will keep their subscription to Netflix even after the plan goes through in March. 

He said that he believes it makes sense to crack down on the people who share their Netflix account with others outside their home. He said, “But for people who live in the same household, especially families, I think it’s reasonable for them to use the same Netflix account, and those people don’t need to be cracked down on.” 

This policy has caused outrage on social media and in real life. The future for Netflix solely depends on their customers and how they will eventually respond to the changes when March rolls around.