Netflix warns providers of credentials backlash
May 16, 2023
Netflix has warned UK telcos and service providers that they can expect a customer backlash as it cracks down on account sharing this month.
The streamer says the ‘free use’ of its platform dented its ability to invest in new content. It plans to start warning UK customers over account-sharing violations in the coming weeks, according to reports.
Telcos’ call centres are likely to get the questions and complaints once sharing switch-off is enacted. The company says it has sought to ensure its partners were kept informed about its plans as they progressed over the past few months, one person close to the talks added.
Once the account-sharing crackdown begins, customers will be encouraged to set a primary location that will mean anyone who lives in their household can use their Netflix account. If it finds the account is being used outside that primary location, the account holder will be emailed about the extra usage, with ‘interstitials’ related to the matter inserted into the start of programming. The warnings will roll out across most of its major markets, including the US and UK.
In April Netflix estimated that more than 100 million households around the world shared accounts with other users.