Netflix has announced that they will soon end the practice of sharing passwords, and the controversy is already served. But it’s not just platform users who are upset. On this occasion, a Netflix actor also joins the demonstrations on social networks. This is Justice Smith (All The Bright Places, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), who has taken to social networks to let his discontent be known.
«If I got another job with Netflix and had to go away to shoot for 2-4 months, I couldn’t use my Netflix account even if I was working for them, “says Justice Smith from a tweet on his official account.
While Smith certainly has a point, it should be noted that has reacted to information published in error in other territories, a Netflix spokesperson told The Streamable. This new 31-day practice is a reality for Peru, Costa Rica, and Chile, but it is a trial limited to these regions. If you live outside of these three countries, you can normally share your Netflix passwords.
Of course, the company details that «we may ask you to verify that device before you can use it to watch Netflix” via a code via email.
In case you are in one of the previously mentioned regions, you can request a temporary code to confirm that it is you. An extension that allows you to obtain the service for seven more days, after which time it will ask you to connect to the main network again. It’s not the most efficient solution, mind you, and we expect it to improve in the future if the company really gets serious about this new practice.
Netflix and its aggressive practices seem to portend a difficult year for the company
Although the publication of the rules in the rest of the world was only a mistake, criticism from users could help Netflix to see things with more perspective. After all, if the feature is in testing in Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica, it will likely roll out to other markets as well. Now, by hearing the voices of people globally, the company may understand that this is a dangerous practice.
More than 60% of Netflix users share a password. However, these measures take a rather aggressive form. On social networks, users already reveal situations where they become unsustainable, as is the case of couples who do not live together, separated families, students far from home or people who work in constant movement. In addition, they also comment that, if what the company wants is to make money, it should stop canceling successful series.
The company wants convert these users using family and friends accounts into potential subscribers. However, the measures could end up scaring off a large part of the people, who could easily migrate to other more free and equally popular platforms, such as HBO Max or Disney +.
Will Netflix be successful with its new mission? It’s hard to tell. While the rest of the world has been spared, the company has been clear about what it wants: remove shared accounts and get new subscribers.