Netflix has begun its crackdown on password sharing in the Irish market by sending emails to subscribers in the Republic who are sharing Netflix outside of their household.
The email – titled “an update on sharing between households” – reminds subscribers that a Netflix account is for use only by the account holder and the people who live with them in their household.
It suggests that people who want to share their account with someone who doesn’t live with them “buy an extra member” on their account for an additional €4.99 a month, although this facility is not available for subscribers who pay for Netflix through a third party or as part of a pay-TV bundle.
“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 company said in a statement.
Its email advises subscribers to check who is using their Netflix account by reviewing which devices are signed in. It also instructs them to sign out of devices that should not have access and consider changing their password.
Subscribers in the Republic were previously contacted last October about the profile transfer feature, which allows people with a profile on certain accounts – including recommendations, viewing history, viewing lists, settings and other features – to switch this information “to their own membership that they pay for”.
Netflix estimated in April that more than 100 million households around the world share accounts with other users. The company had 232.5 million subscribers worldwide as of the end of the first quarter of 2023, but growth in this tally has become more sluggish over the past 18 months, prompting a new emphasis on password sharing across its markets.
Once its account-sharing crackdown begins in earnest, subscribers will be encouraged to set a primary location. If Netflix believes the account is being used outside that primary location, the account holder will be emailed about the extra usage, with warnings inserted into the start of programming.
In the Republic, the streamer is bundled with certain television packages offered by Sky Ireland and Virgin Media Ireland as well as being available on a stand-alone basis.
Netflix recently discussed its plans with the UK telecoms groups that carry its service in the expectation that their call centres could be on the receiving end of complaints from customers once the crackdown is enacted, the Financial Times reported earlier this month.
