Netflix Officially Tests Password Sharing

Netflix is ​​in crisis and has recently lost subscribers for the first time in the service’s recent history. That’s why they’re testing new ways to recover them, including password sharing. But that’s only one thing so far: confusing chaos.

Netflix users are fleeing, which is the worst-case scenario for a company so geared to growth. So the streaming giant from Los Gatos, California is trying to counter this with several measures. This happens on the one hand with plans for an ad-funded and cheaper subscription, on the other hand with an official option to share your own password or access.

Chaos in tests in South America

At the same time, Netflix wants to take stricter action against the unauthorized sharing of passwords and tests have now been carried out in Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica to see how this could work in practice. As as how the rest of the world reported (via gizmodo), the experiment is a mess.

The idea behind Netflix is ​​relatively simple: a household that wants to share its access with friends and family can now legally do so but must pay an additional (lower) fee. The rest of the world has spoken to more than a dozen South American users affected. Many said they were not aware of this change as they did not receive a notification from Netflix.

Other users found that they could simply ignore validation prompts with no impact on the account owner. In addition, Netflix itself does not know how to define a ‘household’. Because many users see close relatives as part of the household, even if they live elsewhere. Netflix has also been contacted multiple times to have it unlocked – and that request has been granted. However, Netflix officially states that a household defines people who live in a particular place or under one roof.