Netflix has been working on ways to tackle account data sharing for some time now. Of course, these options should not be too drastic otherwise the streaming service will lose subscribers. Netflix is currently testing one of those options in a number of countries, but this test is not very well received.
Netflix wants to limit account sharing
Netflix launched another test in three countries in March where customers pay an additional fee for users who are not part of the account owner’s household. The test is being conducted in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru. Netflix subscribers in those countries can “easily and securely” share their accounts, but they have to pay a little more for that.
The website Rest of World has asked some Peruvian Netflix subscribers about this test, and the rollout of this test does not appear to be yielding the results Netflix would expect. In Peru, Netflix subscribers can add up to two additional users they don’t live with to their account. That will cost them about two dollars extra for their account, but that is still cheaper than taking out a new subscription.
According to some of the Peruvian Netflix subscribers surveyed, the introduction of this policy and the associated price increase has caused them to cancel their subscriptions completely. Others continue to share their accounts with people outside their own household. They are not aware of the new rules or are simply ignoring them. An anonymous Netflix employee included in the study notes that she was told to simply tell customers that they can still share their account at no additional cost by using a verification code. This Netflix employee also shared her account information with others.
Representation of reality
Perhaps the results of the test are not quite what Netflix expected. In any case, they do provide a good representation of what could happen if the measures are rolled out on a larger scale. There is a very high chance that many Netflix subscribers will cancel their subscription or continue to secretly share their account information with others outside their own household.
The loss of customers is of course something the streaming giant is not waiting for at all. Netflix saw its subscriber base shrink for the first time in 10 years last month. It lost 200,000 members. In response to this, Netflix is coming up with cheaper Netflix subscriptions. Account sharing outside the family should also contribute to the profitability of the business.
This AW Poll shows that 30.6 percent of Androidworld readers share their account with people outside the family. Three years ago, 38.8 percent of readers admitted this. Are you considering canceling Netflix if account sharing is being addressed? In the meantime, do you use other streaming services more often? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.
– Thanks for information from Androidworld. Source