tech2 News StaffMar 15, 2021 10:39:18 IST
Netflix is testing a way to crack down on password sharing. The popular streaming service has been using popups to ask some users to verify their account via email or text, or to “verify later.” “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching,” the screen reads, according to Streamable.com, which first reported the test. The test comes as streaming services proliferate and more people share passwords and services.
Netflix confirmed the test, but did not say how many people were part of the test or if it was only in the US or elsewhere.
“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorised to do so,” the company said in a statement.
In India, Netflix offers a Rs 199 monthly plan for mobile, which does not include streaming on TV or computer. For mobile, Netflix has recently also rolled out a Rs 299 monthly Mobile+ plan that will allow subscribers to access streaming service in 720p high-definition (HD) video.
Plans that support all devices, includes Rs 499 monthly basic plan which users can only stream on one screen at a time. Then there is the standard and the most popular plan, which is Rs 649 monthly, that allows two simultaneous streams; the Rs 799 per month plan allows streaming on three devices and content in 4K and HDR quality.
However, there has never been a limit on sharing an account when you aren’t streaming at the same time.
Competition has definitely heated up in entertainment streaming, with recent entrants running from Disney+ in 2019 to Paramount+ most recently. Still, Netflix remains the one to beat with more than 200 million subscribers globally.
With inputs from The Associated Press