Netflix may soon ask freeloads to pay

We Indians find the solution to every problem! And with this mindset, several Netflix users in India use one account. Friends, friends of friends, family members - everyone uses the same Netflix account but pays for only one subscription. The platform believes this is one of the key reasons behind the drop in subscribers for the first time in the last decade. In the coming days, Netflix expects to gain subscribers by killing off the password-sharing business.

Per the company's terms and policies, Netflix does not allow users to share their subscriptions with anyone outside of their households. But there's also no way for Netflix to find out if a subscription is shared among multiple people. After losing subscribers for the first time in the last decade, the streaming platform launched the need to immediately eliminate password sharing.

No Netflix passwords sharing

Last year, after losing a large chunk of its subscriber base, the streaming platform said it would introduce ads to the platform soon. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings also said that the company will soon crack down on password sharing. Starting in 2023, Netflix will no longer allow users to share passwords with anyone outside the home. The crackdown on password sharing has already started in some markets but has yet to reach the Indian market.

By cracking down on the password-sharing business, Netflix wants anyone outside of the home to use their Netflix subscription to pay. But, if you share your Netflix password with someone outside your home, the person must pay a fee to use the subscription. So with the new process going into effect, there will be no way for someone to use your friend's Netflix profile without paying. How will the platform track whether you are using someone else's account or not? Netflix will enforce the new password-sharing rule through IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity.

Netflix has started testing the new password-sharing option in a few Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, and others. In these markets, Netflix charges $3 (approximately Rs. 250) for people who want to use their friends' Netflix accounts. Netflix has yet to reveal how much it will charge for usage in India, but the fee is likely on par with the global price. Netflix hasn't yet shared when the password-sharing will end in India. It will be interesting to see how Indians react to it. It will decide the future of Netflix in India.