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Netflix Inc is testing a feature that asks viewers to verify that they share a home with the account holder, the company said Thursday, a move that could lead to cracking down on password sharing.
FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with the Netflix logo stands in front of the words “Streaming Service” shown in this illustration taken on March 24, 2020. REUTERS / Dado Ruvic / Illustration / File photo
REUTERS: Netflix Inc is testing a feature that asks viewers to verify that they share a home with the account holder, the company said Thursday, a move that could lead to a crackdown on password sharing.
A small number of Netflix users are receiving a message asking them to confirm that they live with the account owner by entering the details of a text or email message sent to the owner.
Viewers can delay verification and continue watching Netflix. The message may reappear when they reopen Netflix, and eventually they might be prompted to open a new account to continue streaming.
“This test is designed to help ensure that people who use Netflix accounts are authorized to do so,” said a Netflix spokesperson.
Netflix, the world’s largest streaming service, is constantly testing new features with users, and it’s unclear if the home verification requirement will be implemented more widely.
Netflix’s terms of service say that users of an account must live in the same household, although the company and other streaming services have refused to crack down on the exchange.
(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Edited by Shounak Dasgupta and Karishma Singh)
