Netflix will stop you from sharing your account, and this is how they’ll do it
Netflix is continuing with its plans as usual. The company left us with another month of good news, but that’s not the only thing the company is concerned about. In previous months it has also been the cause of something really dreaded by all users who share their accounts with their friends and family, and today it seems that we have more information on the operation of the system that prevents you from sharing accounts.
Netflix will use your IP to detect if you share an account
For years, sharing a Netflix account with family or friends has been a constant that has allowed many to enjoy the high-quality content they see on the platform. However, they don’t like it because it directly affects their income. Hence the idea of implementing a system that prevents users from sharing their accounts with other people.
The news was announced by Netflix itself, which posted more data on its FAQ page. Following what the company itself says, which clarifies in the first lines of the “Share Netflix with someone who doesn’t live with you” section: “People who don’t live in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix.”
It goes on to say that if you connect from a device outside your home or regularly view content from another external device, they will ask you to verify it before using it. This will be done with a code that the account holder will receive on his side and which must be entered within 15 minutes. This is just a verification, so you won’t be automatically charged if you share your account with someone else.
And in case you were wondering, yes, Netflix will use different metrics to find out what devices are in your home. These are nothing but IP addresses, device IDs, and device account activity.
In short, the sharing of your account with several non-living people could soon end.
What if I want to use Netflix elsewhere or if I’m traveling?
Of course, a question arises here and that is that since it is an online service, you can use it whenever and wherever you want. In these cases, the VOD platform tells you that you will have nothing to worry about since if you are the main account holder you will only have to verify your account for security reasons. After that, all you need to do is continue watching the content as you normally would.
Pay to maintain profiles or upgrade to a new account
These two are the only alternatives you have as a user to at least maintain your Netflix profile. For one, the company tests its additional surcharge per user you share your account with. It has already started testing in some South American countries, charging $3 per instance.
The other option is to “leave the group” and pay for Netflix on your own. In this case, if you don’t want to lose your profile data, it’s best to use the Profile Transfer Tool.