Most Netflix users likely share their passwords and account with friends and family. I have lost track of how many people may have access to my own account, to be honest. But Netflix is working on new measures to put a stop to account sharing and it might change how successful the company is in the future.

According to Variety, the streaming giant has launched a new test feature that displays a warning to users if it detects that the account they are accessing is not theirs. The warning is currently being tested on TVs through the Netflix app and a handful of users in different countries have reported seeing it.

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According to the message, users are given three prompts when the Netflix account sharing warning appears. They can firstly get an email or text verification to authenticate the account, or click a button that says verify later. The Netflix account sharing warning message reads:

If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.

A Netflix representative says that the company has indeed launched a limited test of the feature. The rep says the test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so. As of now, it is unclear what may trigger the warning but Netflix says the feature is a security mechanism to block unauthorized users who may have obtained stolen Netflix login credentials.

O no. Netflix doing the purge?!? pic.twitter.com/XXlHtfgfsy

— chante most (@DOP3Sweet) March 9, 2021

If Netflix does move to roll out the security feature across all mobile apps and smartphones then users may have to start hassling the owner of the account for the verification code every time the warning pops up. At least it will block your ex from using your account (on the bright side).

According to recent reports, nearly 40% of Americans say they use a streaming account that does not belong to them and a third of those users claim they don’t have permission to do so.

Thankfully, Netflix has measures in place already to curb mass account sharing. Its pricing tiers allow for two and four simultaneous streams at any given time so if you do give your account to thirty people, only four users will be able to stream at once. On the highest package, of course.

It seems that this new Netflix account sharing security feature is being implemented to prevent unauthorized sharing of an account. Meaning that friend you never speak to anymore who is too cheap to subscribe to her own package will need to either be your friend again or get her credit card out. Whether or not this feature becomes mainstream is unclear at this time.

Source: Variety

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