I share all kinds of things with my 21-year-old daughter, who goes to college in another state: An Amazon account. Costco membership. Shoes.
But starting sooner rather than later, I won’t be able to share my Premium Netflix account with my daughter. Well, unless we pay more for it, that is.
So are my snowbird parents, who live with us “in the Lower 48” six months out of the year. As long as they are under the same roof, we can share. When they returned to their home in Alaska, they were alone.
Sorry, fam. You are booting. Here are tentative answers to some of the most asked questions so far and my thoughts on the crackdown itself.
Who has your Netflix password?:Check who is logged into your Netflix account and boot them
It’s not me, it’s Netflix:With password sharing in the block, how to boot your friends
When will Netflix password sharing stop?
It may only be a few days until Netflix stops sharing passwords for anyone who doesn’t live in the same household in the United States. The streaming giant has already made the changes in Canada, along with several other countries.
Netflix hasn’t shared details on how to crack password sharing in America yet.
Last month, Netflix caused a kerfuffle when it published information on its Help Center page in the United States that seemed to outline updated guidelines. To be clear, Netflix is adamant that this is a mistake.
Basic Netflix password sharing:When will Netflix password sharing end? How much can you spend? What you need to know.
In an emailed statement, the company said that for a short time, “an article in the help center containing information that is only available in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru has been made live in other countries. We have since updated it.”
NetFlix Canada password sharing
In Canada, where password crackdowns were launched last month, the new ground rules appear to be similar to what Netflix maintains, with passwords and accounts for one household and one primary location, not for of an ex and their fraternity brother, that cousin you only see. during vacation and on your dog-walker.
You can share passwords, but only with up to two people you don’t live with, and you have to pay for it. People pay the equivalent of $5.88 more to, say, share an account with their daughter, who is away at college under the Canadian plan.
Based on how it’s worked so far in other countries, we can guess how the password crackdown will affect when Netflix announces updates in the US
How can I watch Netflix while traveling?
It looks like you can still watch Netflix on your personal device or by logging into a new TV in a hotel or Airbnb when you travel, without worrying about logging out or paying too much after a certain time on the road. .
Why Netflix should prevent password sharing
Opinion alert and a warning that this is not a popular one: Breaking Netflix seems fair. We all love getting something of value for free – or at least cheaper than others – but this is often unsustainable.
I probably just shared my password with my daughter, and that seems fair. But some people can pay for an account and share it with 100 people. Is that the same thing?
It’s like someone scafing an entire restaurant meal, then complaining about it (loudly) to get a freebie. Or the person who wears a new dress a few times (tags hidden) and returns it for a full refund.
And what about those TikTok influencers who brag about making $15,000 a month buying deeply discounted products at Marshalls, then selling them at full price on Amazon to unsuspecting dopes like me ? It’s not illegal, but it’s not exactly ethical, either. It stands to reason that businesses should account for that behavior and that the fallout affects the rest of us as well.
Netflix says more than 100 million households use a shared password worldwide. While other streaming services still allow the practice, they don’t encourage it, and there’s a good chance many will follow in Netflix’s footsteps here. Is it their fault that some people are taking too much of a good thing?
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.