Netflix Ends Password Sharing In India

Netflix on Thursday announced that it has ended password sharing in India, announcing that only members of a household will be able to access a single account. The decision is part of a global crackdown – announced in May – on users sharing passwords with people beyond their immediate family as the company seeks to shore up revenue after a rough patch last year.

“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 streaming giant said in a statement.

The company said it has initiated the distribution of emails to customers who are sharing Netflix outside their household in India.

The members can use Netflix at home, on the go, on holiday and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices, the company said.

“We recognise that our members have many entertainment choices. It is why we continue to invest heavily in a wide variety of new films and TV shows – so whatever your taste, mood or language and whoever you are watching with, there is always something satisfying to watch on Netflix,” it said.

Netflix in May imposed restrictions on password-sharing in more than 100 countries including prominent markets like the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, and Brazil. 

The crackdown has helped the company add nearly 6 million subscribers globally.

The streaming giant finished the recently ended quarter with a total of 238 million subscribers and a profit of $1.5 billion, according to an earnings release.

“Let’s face it, the crackdown on passwords is working,” Navellier and Associates chief investment officer Louis Navellier said of Netflix, according to news agency AFP.

“I was ecstatic with the results; I think they hit the ball out of the park with subscriber growth.”

In its earning statement, the company said that the policy would expand to all its markets worldwide.

To convert non-paying users, Netflix has introduced “borrower” or “shared” accounts, in which subscribers can add extra viewers for a higher price or transfer viewing profiles to new accounts.

Netflix launched an ad-subsidized offering around the same time as the crackdown, and on Wednesday eliminated its lowest priced ad-free plan that cost $10 a month in the US.

“The decision to cut its basic tier is an effort to bolster advertising by elevating the price difference between its advertising and non-advertising tiers,” said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Ross Benes.