What are the rules for Netflix password sharing in the UK?
Sharing your password with your friends and family is about to get a whole lot harder.
Netflix has finally begun its crackdown on password sharing in the UK.
While Netflix users have shared their accounts with family members and friends from outside of their household for many years, we can't say we weren't warned: the popular streaming service announced its plan to put an end to password sharing in 2023 last year.
In May 2023, Netflix began sending emails to subscribers in the UK sharing their passwords with friends and family who live outside of their household, reminding them that an account “is for use by one household” and it “is for you and the people you live with”.
The letter, which was sent to almost four million British subscribers, added that: “Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are – at home, on the go, on holiday – and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices.”
The crackdown on password sharing has already been trialled in territories including Canada, Spain, New Zealand and Portugal, but just how is it going to work here in the UK and how can viewers continue to watch their favourite shows from FUBAR to Queen Charlotte?
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Read on to find out what the new rules are that are being introduced in the UK, what the new prices are and how exactly Netflix is going to stop password sharing.
Netflix prices UK: How much is the password-sharing fee?
Netflix is giving people who have been sharing accounts two options.
Firstly, you can “transfer a profile”, meaning that anyone on your account can get their own, new membership.
Alternatively, you can “buy an extra member” to your account, which means that the person will stay on your account but you will have to pay for them. This will cost you £4.99 in the UK or $7.99 in the US.
Netflix has confirmed customers will not automatically be charged the £4.99 if they are sharing their password with friends and family who live outside their household. Customers will have to opt-in for it.
In an interview with Variety on 19th January 2023, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said the crackdown would “not be a universally popular move” and that the company would introduce the new rules by giving users who continue to share accounts “a gentle nudge” to pay an additional fee for multi-household use.
When will Netflix stop password sharing in the UK?
As detailed above, the crackdown has begun.
Netflix began sending emails to to customers in the UK sharing their account passwords with friends and family who live outside of their household on Tuesday (23rd May 2023).
The streaming giant sent a letter to almost four million British subscribers, reminding them that an account “is for use by one household” and it “is for you and the people you live with”.
It added that: “Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are – at home, on the go, on holiday – and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices.”
The move is intended to boost subscribers in the long-term.
Based on the trial of the new rules in selected Central and South American countries, Netflix previously said it anticipated a negative impact in the short term.
“As we work through this transition – and as some borrowers stop watching either because they don’t convert to extra members or full paying accounts – near term engagement, as measured by third parties, like Nielsen’s The Gauge, could be negatively impacted,” the statement said.
“However, we believe the pattern will be similar to what we’ve seen in Latin America, with engagement growing over time as we continue to deliver a great slate of programming and borrowers sign up for their own accounts.”
What is a Netflix household? Password sharing UK rules explained
The new rules specifically say that any account is meant for use by one household, which Netflix defines as “you and the people you live with”.
Those in the household can still use Netflix on holiday or on the go, it has also been confirmed.
Why is Netflix cracking down on password sharing?
It comes after Netflix was projected to have lost around 500,000 UK subscribers in 2022, according to research firm Ampere Analysis.
Netflix - home to hit shows such as Squid Game and The Crown - blamed losses last year on a number of factors including the war in Ukraine, as well as rivals such as Apple TV+ and Disney Plus chipping away at its audience with their own streaming platforms.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
