r/technology • u/chrisdh79 • Feb 03 '23

Netflix says strict new password sharing rules were posted in error Business

https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/02/03/netflix-says-strict-new-password-sharing-rules-were-posted-in-error
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2.8k

u/r3dk0w Feb 03 '23 • All-Seeing Upvote

They already sell in streams, where the normal package gets 2 streams and the premium package gets 4 streams.

Why do they care that 2 streams are used when that's what the package allows?

If they don't want password sharing, then limit the lower-end package to 1 stream. Then it doesn't matter how much password sharing is going on.

1.9k

u/Wildcard36qs Feb 03 '23

This is what baffles me. I'm paying for 4 streams, who cares where they are used?

908

u/GeT_Tilted Feb 03 '23

They care about growth. They know that their sub numbers will reach a hard limit soon. So they bet on people using other's account may convert into a paying sub when the restrictions go live. They did not expect the public to call for cancellations or piracy so they changed course to appear better in the public's eye.

736

u/RubberReptile Feb 03 '23

Anecdotally, my family shares a Netflix account, and the second that it stops working for my siblings we're cancelling it. Can't be the only ones who feel this way. We've paid for the service for nearly a decade, now.

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u/sarcasatirony Feb 03 '23

Have kids in college and we share 4 streams. Discussed last night that we’re not paying more for the exact service for which we signed and would cancel. Obviously Netflix was listening through the mics on our phones and reacted with this story.

Coincidentally, there’s a new over the counter drug for my ED and I can renew my car’s warranty so I’d call today a win.

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u/NHRADeuce Feb 03 '23

Same here. One kid in college and another about to be. I upgrade to 4 streams specifically to get 4 streams. The minute anyone kne of us is blocked, we're canceling.

53

u/bdone2012 Feb 03 '23

I think Netflix is worth at most 12 bucks a month per household. I’d still cancel personally unless it was maybe 10 bucks a month. If they had wanted to go through with this new plan they would have needed to drop the cost a very significant amount.

I don’t see how they assumed that people would just be cool with the cost more than doubling. It’s laughable. I think most people pay for Netflix and then they share with someone who has hbo max, hulu or Disney. That way you have access to all of them. It’s not worth it otherwise.

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u/Abadayos Feb 04 '23

That’s what we do. We have Netflix and do two and my in-laws have a few of the other subs and we just give the other access so we all have all we want. It works out well and the moment it stops working, the offenders with be purged and we will just carry on without or setting sail for the high seas me hearties

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u/TwanToni Feb 03 '23

only delaying the inevitable

21

u/[deleted] Feb 03 '23

On his ED? Let the guy enjoy it for a while FFS

;)

5

u/TwanToni Feb 03 '23

lmao I completely missed that part... I would say it's a win for ya man along with his warranty lol

2

u/[deleted] Feb 03 '23

Ride on OP, ride on

3

u/Icy-End8895 Feb 04 '23

Coulda swore mankind was about to get thrown through the hell in a cell

2

u/mekkab Feb 04 '23

I don’t even watch wrestling and I was ready to plunge Netflix through an announcer’s table

2

u/Devium92 Feb 04 '23

I share the account with my parents who often have my young kids for visits. It's easier to share the password so there is continuity of episodes and stuff between houses instead of constantly restarting series for the kids and hunting down episodes based off the description from the 7 year old compared to the actual synopsis of the episode/title of the episode.

We also watch Netflix in a variety of locations within our household, 2 phones, a tablet, 2 computers, Fire Stick, technically we have it on the video game consoles etc. I think we pay for the 4 streams package, but with the news of getting rid of account sharing we are planning on doing away with Netflix, and potentially other streaming services as well.

2

u/Zinraa Feb 04 '23

Actually was on the phone with Netflix 2 weeks ago because my account was hacked by someone in Russia. While recovering my account ( that ended up getting cancelled and remade...enraging, but a story for another thread), they noticed that my account was being used outside my house. I told them that yes, it was. I have children that live in other parts of the country that use it plus a business i use it in. They tried telling me that was not allowed so I informed them that I pay my $20 a month for my 4 streams and as such how I use those streams that I pay for is none of their damn business and if they have a problem with that, they can go ahead and just cancel everything and lose a day 1 client. Needless to say, that conversation changed rather quickly.

1

u/JSuma Feb 04 '23

whats the otc drug called?

5

u/SodOffWithASawedOff Feb 04 '23

The best thing that has worked for me was Yurmombent OTC

1

u/El_Grande_El Feb 04 '23

What’s this new drug called?

1

u/zeugma25 Feb 04 '23

a new over the counter drug for my ED and I can renew my car’s warranty

Your warranty provider has some very specific requirements.

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u/canrat Feb 03 '23

Agreed! Netflix already has to compete with 10+other streaming services (depending on which market). If all of them let me password share and Netflix doesn’t, why bother keeping Netflix?

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u/[deleted] Feb 03 '23

The only thing saving them is their occasional original productions that hit squid game etc

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u/Odd_Conversation1295 Feb 03 '23

It really doesn't anymore though. I, and many others, are tired of them canceling shows that we like. Personally, I know quite a few people that refuse to watch Netflix originals until they have a few seasons finished.

Netflix just hates their customers. I don't even share my account with anybody but I canceled my subscription due to their recent "accidental" announcement. I'll probably renew my Netflix account but I'll only have it active for 1 month a year now.

I'm sick of their shit and I refuse to have an active subscription with them year round anymore like I have had pretty much since their inception.

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u/sushisection Feb 03 '23

wasting their money on all of those show productions also ironically tanked their company. made them hurt for cash, resulting in what we are seeing now.

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u/CasablumpkinDilemma Feb 04 '23

My family is this way too. My dad got it for my mom back when it was just DVDs. Now my mom is gone, and he pays for 4 streams just so me, my brother, and my daughter can watch it. He doesn't even use it, himself. If they implement this there's no point in him having it anymore.

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u/QuickAltTab Feb 04 '23

The only thing that makes it feel "worth" it for some of these streaming subscriptions is that more of my family can use it aside from us. If they can't use it, I'll only subscribe when they have a show I'd want to watch, or maybe if its a big enough pain in the ass, I'll just read more, which is better for me anyway.

3

u/happytrel Feb 04 '23

My family already cancelled, the threat of extra fees on top of how stupid expensive it is anyway was too much. My girlfriend's family is waiting until they see an actual charge to cancel, but will cancel immedietly when they do see one.

Everyone I know who had or has Netflix shares with people and its kinda the point because its not anywhere near as strong as it once was and they cancel all of their originals right as they pick up steam anyway. Its easier to stomach all that as a team.

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u/scratch_post Feb 04 '23

We also share a Netflix

It will be cancelled the day it interferes with our ability to watch or takes any extra effort to do it.

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u/Nit3fury Feb 03 '23

Yeeeeep. I’ve been my family’s Netflix provider for about a decade too, I don’t even use it myself, but if shit increases it’s over

2

u/MykelJMoney Feb 04 '23

I’m the one with the account for my family. I really don’t think I’d be sad to give it up if they want to screw the rest of the family over. For starters, I don’t personally use it that much, mostly because I either already own my favorite rewatches, or they’re on different streaming services. I might actually cancel it anyway. Mostly hold onto it for my wife and the rest of the family.

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u/SenatorRobPortman Feb 04 '23

My siblings and I all split the cost of a bunch of services. Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon, Spotify, Disney+. One family unit pays for one thing and we all share. Coincidentally my wife is a librarian. I am very cool and comfortable with my siblings cancelling any of their subscriptions, and utilizing the dvd section at the library. lol. They get new movies and shows in all the time and it’s for free.

2

u/Joshua__Michael Feb 03 '23

Totally agree. I saw the rules get posted yesterday; and immediately canceled my subscription. I imagine the backlash was much worse than originally Imagined

1

u/Extra-Ad5925 Feb 03 '23

Yep me too we all had a chat about it yesterday. No one watches it enough to re-up

1

u/rarius18 Feb 03 '23

Nope, I will cancel so bad! The moment my family says password stops working - cancelling that shit! I don’t even like Netflix, so much garbage there lately

1

u/coolreg214 Feb 03 '23

My gf is the only one that really watches mine so I’m probably going to cancel my subscription. I mainly watch paramount ant prime, they’re cheaper anyway.

1

u/Arseyoukiddingme Feb 04 '23

There too many other services to rely on Netflix alone.

1

u/DanielleSanders20 Feb 04 '23

My grandma pays for our family account, 5 different households and she had the max screen accounts. She saw this and immediately cancelled all our accounts cause she didn’t quite understand what was happening and said Netflix told her we couldn’t share LOL. So now, only 2 of the 5 households have resubscribed. They went from like $40 to $20 real fast with my family!

1

u/BitcoinOperatedGirl Feb 04 '23

Same, I'm sharing mine with my elderly mom and she uses it more than me. If she can't use it anymore, I'm definitely cancelling... I paid for the premium 4 screen plan, which is a family plan. If I can't share it with one family member, then fuck netflix, their content is subpar anyways.

1

u/SplashBandicoot Feb 04 '23

You don’t think they did the math?

1

u/MimiMyMy Feb 04 '23

We feel the same. As a matter of fact I was just on the phone with my daughter this evening about it. We pay for 2 streams for well over a decade. We have agreed neither one of us will subscribe on our own once they start enforcing whatever it is they are changing.

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u/The_Dovahpoes Feb 04 '23

Same. My wife and I are the ones paying for four streams that are used by her old parents, my old parents, and my brother. Each of us only have one TV so it works out. I’m return, someone else is paying for Disney, HBO and Amazon Prime.

It’s something SO commonly done by everyone we know that this policy is straight up greed. We’re waiting for this month’s subscription to finish to cancel and switch to Apple TV.

1

u/helf1x Feb 04 '23

Same here. My dad uses my account. Was planning on restarting my Plex server and going back to the high seas if they implemented this.

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u/blueboxreddress Feb 04 '23

I pay for a premium account as the smallest possible gift to my very hardworking mom and my three adult younger brothers because I can. We’ve all talked about how the second one of us can’t log in it’s time to cancel Netflix and go back to pirating Netflix original content.