This week, Netflix officially changed their policies so that you can’t share accounts with people who do not live in the same household. The platform warned that would block the service on suspicious devices to have shared accounts. But before the wave of negative reactions, they decided to make some ‘adjustments’, at least in Mexico. The problem is that the changes have been very confusing and few understand what is happening.
On January 31, the company updated the ‘frequently asked questions’ section on its website simultaneously in several countries.
They pointed out that users should connect their devices to Netflix from the account’s associated WiFi network at least once every 31 days. With this they would verify that they are “trusted devices” and that they are associated with the “Netflix home” or location of the main user. Otherwise, the account would be blocked.
The platform said it would review subscribers’ IP addresses periodically and, if content outside of that IP was played, Netflix could remove the accounts associated with the main one.
They reacted quickly and changed the strategy
The measures not only appeared on the site for Mexico, but also on the one for Spain, as reported by Genbeta. This caused all kinds of reactions among users and Internet users: indignation, anger, promises to cancel subscriptions and, above all, a lot of confusion.
Just a day later, on February 1, Netflix said the measures were published in error in both countries.
“For a brief moment yesterday, an article from our Help Center containing information applicable only to Chile, Costa Rica and Peru appeared on other countries’ websites. We have already updated the information,” a Netflix spokesperson told the portal. Xataka Mexico.
The update is based on the same premise: you can no longer share Netflix with someone who doesn’t live in your house. The difference, it seems, is that they will no longer block you as soon as you break the rule and you will even be able to leave your house for a few days without losing your access to the platform (what a detail!).
Does anyone understand the new Netflix account sharing rules PROPERLY?
In less than 24 hours Netflix changed the strategy almost completely and the original text no longer appears on the page.
Now in the section on shared accounts, it says that:
- If the device used to watch Netflix connects to the primary account holder’s home internet, verification will not be required.
- If a device is signed in from a device that is not associated with the primary account holder’s home or is “persistently used,” they can ask the account owner to verify the device. This would be “to confirm that the device using the account is authorized to do so.”
- If you travel or live in multiple places, and you are the account holder, you will not be asked to verify the device. Instead, if you’re away from Netflix home “for an extended period of time, you may occasionally be asked to verify your device.”
Verifying a device doesn’t sound so easy, but it basically consists of:
- Netflix sends a link to the email address or phone number associated with the primary account holder.
- The link opens a page with a four-digit verification code.
- You will need to enter that code on the device that requested it within 15 minutes.
If the code expires, you will need to request a new verification code from the device. - If the operation is successful, the device can be used to watch Netflix.
Finally, they detail that to detect which computers are part of the “Netflix home” they use “information such as IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity from registered devices.” They indicate that the number of people who can view content on the platform at the same time depends on the contracted plan, “as long as those devices belong to people in the same household.”
Editorial Team The editorial team of EMPRENDEDOR.com, which for more than 27 years has worked to promote entrepreneurship.
