In a bid to tackle the challenges ahead, Netflix is testing a new feature, which can assist the streaming giant to crack down on password sharing outside the family circle. The most popular streaming service provider is rolling out alerts asking few users to verify if they are authorised to watch from the account that they are logged in.
“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so,” CNN quoted a Netflix spokesperson as saying in a statement. The spokesperson added the company’s terms of service say accounts “may not be shared with individuals beyond your household”.
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When a user selects his profile on a shared Netflix account, a pop-up will ask him to verify the account by confirming with a text or email sent to the account holder. The users can also choose to verify later, in which case, the pop-up will show up again at an undetermined time later. The viewers will be prompted to set up a new account in case they can't confirm to be an authorized user.
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This comes as Netflix’s viewership increased rapidly during the coronavirus pandemic and reached 200 million users last month. The streaming giant’s stock is also up nearly 50 per cent since March last year.
Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO and other streaming platforms for years have been battling with the idea on how to clamp down password sharing.