Netflix Is Ending Free Password Sharing

Streaming used to be the answer to cable TV: Customers were fed up with high prices, without any way to pick and choose the channels they wanted to subscribe to. Services like Netflix brought that choice back to the market, and saved customers a lot of money to boot.

Of course, those days are long past. In 2022, Netflix is more concerned about continuing to grow and increase profits rather than appeal to new users with smart pro-consumer strategies. As such, the company is taking a big step for a streaming service, by killing its free password sharing system.

Here’s how it works. Your Netflix subscription stays the same price at first. Any user that lives with you will be able to keep their account free of charge. Once a user outside of your household wants to watch Netflix, however, that’s when the paywall comes up. Netflix hasn’t confirmed a price yet, but based on testing done in Latin American countries, it could work out to an extra $3.50 or $4.00 a user.

The company isn’t leaving users totally out in the rain, however. If you don’t want to pay for an extra password share, but you’re concerned about losing your user data by opening your own account, Netflix has a system for transferring your existing account, including watch history and recommendations, to your new subscription.

These choices make Netflix stand out from other streaming services, most of which do not crackdown on this type of password sharing. It’s now more restricted than many cable TV services online, which require a cable TV sign in to watch. Many of these services still work for no extra charge when outside the home of the cable TV provider, which puts Netflix in a more aggressive position.