Think twice before sharing that Netflix password.
The streaming service for years turned a blind eye to password sharing, but recently they started encouraging some users to verify their identity via text message.
Netflix Inc.’s competitors, including HBO Max at AT&T Inc., Disney + Walt Disney Co. and Peacock at Comcast Corp., often send emails to their customers when they notice several logs from different locations, according to people familiar with their company policies. The emails usually say the service wants to make sure the user’s account has not been blocked, the people said. But they are also a reassuring reminder to customers that companies know when more than one person is using the account, industry experts said.
Netflix’s efforts to prevent password sharing will come as the streaming domain becomes more numerous and competitors gather more subscribers. Disney + recently surpassed 100 million global customers.
A Netflix spokesperson declined to say whether all users would see authentication requests, simply saying that the effort was designed to ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so. Netflix did not stop any subscribers from sharing a password, said someone close to the company.