Netflix wants to clamp down on password sharing
Netflix is working on plans to stop subscribers from sharing their account passwords, Independent reports.
During a quarterly earnings call, Netflix product chief Greg Peters was asked about the company’s view on the issue.
“We continue to monitor it, so we’re looking at the situation,” Peters said. He emphasized that they would approach the matter in a way that would not drive away customers.
“We’ll see those consumer-friendly ways to push on the edges of that.”
Peters added that Netflix does not have any immediate plans to curb the practice. The service currently only limits the number of devices that can stream simultaneously from one account.
Synamedia algorithm
A possible option for Netflix could be a solution similar to one created by UK-based company Synamedia.
Synamedia’s video-software unit built an algorithm that looks for user patterns that point to a shared password being used.
The software tracks content access in different locations, and if two viewers using the same login ID watch the same show in separate locations, the software will flag the session as a likely violation.
According to Metro, Synamedia has stated that several content providers are testing its system, but did not specify any companies.
Password-sharing amongst friends and family members poses a problem for the business models of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Research done by Magid has shown that about 9% of people share their streaming service passwords.
Loading ...