Netflix announced: We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account with features like profiles and multiple streams. While these have been hugely popular, they’ve also created confusion about when and how you can share Netflix. Today, over 100 million households are sharing accounts – impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films.

So over the last year, we’ve been exploring different approaches to address this issue in Latin America, and we’re now ready to roll them out more broadly in the coming months, starting today in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. Our focus has been giving members greater control over who can access their account.

Set primary location: We’ll help members set this up, ensuring that anyone who lives in their household can use their Netflix account.

Manage account accesses and devices: Members can now easily manage who has access to their account from our new Manage Access and Devices page.

Transfer profile: People using an account can now easily transfer a profile to a new account which they pay for – keeping their personalized recommendations, viewing history, My List, saved games and more.

Watch while you travel: Members can still easily watch Netflix on their personal devices or log into a new TV, like at a hotel or a holiday rental.

Buy an extra member: Members on our Standard or Premium plan in many countries (including Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain) can add an extra member sub account for up to two people they don’t live with – each with a profile, personalized recommendations, login and password – for an extra CAD$7.99 a month per person in Canada, NZD $7.99 in New Zealand, Euro 3.99 in Portugal, and Euro 5.99 in Spain.

TechCrunch reported that Netflix is rolling out paid sharing, otherwise known as Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing, to more countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, TechCrunch reported. The company had previously tested paid sharing in select markets, including Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and elsewhere in Latin America.

According to TechCrunch, Netflix is also offering a few details about how paid sharing will work, in hopes of quelling a subscriber backlash over the anticipated changes that have some threatening to cancel their Netflix accounts.

The news follows a leak describing password restrictions that came out earlier this month, prompting subscriber complaints. Netflix subscribers were also upset about how travel restrictions would work under the new policy.

Engadget reported that Netflix isn’t shy about its rationale. As it has argued in the past, Netflix claims account sharing is hurting its bottom line. The 100 million-plus households sharing accounts are “impacting [Netflix’s] ability” to invest in new content, according to director Chengyi Long. In theory, paid sharing improves the company’s revenue without forcing affected users to pay full price for a completely separate account.

Personally, I think Netflix designed this as a way for people to remove those who have been using the person’s paid account as a “freebie”. Or, users might see this as a good reason to cancel their Netflix account – especially if kicking out the freebee users doesn’t actually result in new Netflix shows.

Netflix has unveiled its plans to prevent password sharing between people in households outside of an account owner’s primary location, IGN reported.

According to IGN, the FAQ pages for US and UK Netflix subscribers currently highlight the devices that may require verification if they are not associated with the Netflix household or if they attempt to access an account outside the subscriber’s primary location for an extended period of time.

Subscribers who want to share their Netflix account with someone who doesn’t live with them can add an extra member to their account, IGN noted. Members can also transfer a profile from an existing account elsewhere, allowing them to keep their personalized data on another account.

The plan to convert “borrowers” – those who are currently using Netflix accounts that are owned by separate households – to paid subscribers is expected to roll out by the end of March, with the introduction of more account sharing restrictions and extra member fees in more countries.

Gizmodo reported that without any official announcement, Netflix updated its support page to detail how it plans to restrict users from sharing an account with folks outside their immediate household. However, the company made changes to the page after it was initially posted, and it still remains unclear just how upcoming restrictions on password sharing will work.

The Netflix website posted what appears to be the current information about account sharing on its website. There is a post titled “Sharing Your Netflix account”. That information includes:

• A Netflix account is for people who live together in a single household.
• Sharing Netflix with someone who doesn’t live with you

People who do not live in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix.

It is easy to sign up for Netflix and we offer a variety of plans. As always, members can change plans or cancel at any time.
When a device outside of your household signs in to an account or is used persistently, we may ask you to verify that device using the account is authorized to do so.

Netflix will not automatically charge you if you share your account with someone who doesn’t live with you.

• Verifying a device

When someone signs into your account from a device that is not associated with your Netflix household, or if your account is accessed persistently from a location outside of your household, we may ask you to verify that device before it can be used to watch Netflix. We do this to confirm that the device using the account is authorized to do so.

• How Netflix detects devices within a household

We use information such as IP addresses, device IDs and account activity from devices signed into the Netflix account.

Netflix announced it has been “carefully exploring” different ways for people who want to share their account to pay a bit more. In March, they added an “add extra member” feature in Chile, Costa Rico, and Peru. From next month, Netflix will launch an alternative “add a home” feature in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Here’s how this “add a home” feature will work:

One home per account: Each Netflix account – whatever your plan – will include one home where you can enjoy Netflix on any of your devices.

Buy additional homes: To use your Netflix account in additional homes, we will ask you to pay an extra [219 Pesos per month per home in Argentina / $2.99 per month per home in the Dominican Republic / $2.99 per month per home in Honduras / $2.99 per month per home in El Salvador / $2.99 per month per home in Guatemala]. Members on the Basic plan can add one extra home, Standard up to two extra, and Premium up to three extra.

Travel Included: You can watch while outside the home on your tablet, laptop, or mobile.

New Manage Homes Feature: You will soon be able to control where your account is being used – and remove homes at any time – from your account settings page.

The Verge describes the “extra home” fee as “Netflix’s latest anti-password sharing test”. In March of 2022, Netflix very specifically described that Members on the Standard and Premium plans will be able to add sub accounts for up to two people they don’t live with – each with their own profile, personalized recommendations, login and password.

The Verge also reported what Netflix’s support page says about Adding an extra home:

“Beginning August 22, 2022, when you sign into Netflix on a TV outside of your home, you will see the option to add the extra home for an additional fee per month.

“If you will only be using this TV for a limited time, you can watch Netflix for up to 2 weeks at no extra charge as long as your account has not been previously used in that location. After that time, the TV will be blocked unless you add the extra home.”

In addition, Netflix explains how it detects homes:

“We use information such as IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity.

“If you are using a device within your included home and still see a message that says that there are too many homes using your account, you can:

“Make sure that the device is connected to the same internet connection as the other devices in the home.

“Make sure that the device is not connected to a VPN, proxy, or any unblocked service.”

GameSpot reported that Netflix’s share price dropped almost 70% this year as a result. The company said that password sharing has been particularly high in Latin America, hence testing these initiatives there first.

In my opinion, if Netflix feels that these measures work well in the countries that Netflix has selected, it might try and impose those same restrictions in other countries as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if Netflix users in the US get the “extra home” charge imposed upon them eventually.

Netflix is laying off approximately 150 employees across the company, according to an internal memo sent Tuesday and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. This round of layoffs follows at least 10 full-time staff and contractors working under the editorial division on April 28, 2022. Those workers were part of Tudum Studio, which Netflix launched in December of 2021.

NPR reported that layoffs of employees and contractors for the Netflix site Tudum made waves online. People criticized the company for letting go of staff who had been recently recruited and for the lack of internal marketing of their work.

According to NPR, these layoffs are reflective of a change that Netflix is undergoing. In the wake of controversial programming on its platform, the tech giant recently altered its corporate culture memo to say employees may have to work on projects they find harmful.

Los Angeles Times reported that a spokesperson for Netflix provided the following statement:

“As we explained on earnings, our slowing revenue growth means we are also having to slow our cost growth as a company. So sadly, we are letting around 150 employees go today, mostly U.S.-based. These changes are primarily driven by business needs rather than individual performance, which makes them especially tough as none of us want to say goodbye to such great colleagues. We’re working hard to support them through this very difficult transition.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, a contractor who was part of a team that ran social media content promoting LGBTQ storytelling said, “This felt more of a matter of when, than if.” The contractor, who was not allowed to speak publicly, first became aware of the layoffs through the news, and hours later attended an all-hands on meeting where a group of people were informed they were losing their jobs.

Animation Magazine reported that Netflix was also eliminating two percent of roles from its animation workforce, largely in the U.S. According to Animation Magazine, at the beginning of the month, a trio of animated Netflix Kids & Family projects were nixed from the slate: Jeff King’s Dino Daycare (part of kids’ animation whiz Chris Nee’s initial slate with the streamer), Meghan Markle’s Pearl and Jaydeep Hasrajani’s Boons and Curses.

All of this comes after Netflix cracked down on account sharing (with someone outside of your household).

The Hollywood Reporter stated that in April, during its first-quarter earnings announcement, Netflix revealed it had lost 200,000 subscribers in the quarter and expected to lose an additional 2 million during the second quarter.