- Netflix to stop users from sharing passwords,
- Two-factor verification in trial,
- Sharing passwords a security threat.
Before Netflix came to Zimbabwe, people got passwords from their relatives abroad to use the service, and even to date we are still doing it when we can open our own accounts. However, this is coming to an end as the streaming service giants are reportedly hatching up a way to stop users from sharing their passwords with people who do not live in the same house.
According to BBC, some users have reported seeing a screen saying, “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.”
“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.” A Netflix spokesperson told the BBC.
The trial that Netflix introduced last week is basically a form of two-factor verification via text or email, the kind you might already have on your WhatsApp account. The move will stop unauthorized use in cases when your account has been compromised or shared without your permission. Remember you can not access your own account if the maximum number of users on your subscription is logged in before you do.
The number of people a user can share an account with is determined by the price of subscriptions. The basic $9 plan allows only one device to stream, while the $14 standard plan allows two users and finally the premium $18 plan allows up to four devices at a time.
Four people can simply team up to access the premium plan and access all the content available at a very cheap price of $5 each so this might be a big necessary move by Netflix in terms of increasing revenue and profits by having more subscribers.
Sharing online account information is also a security risk as the people with access to your account will be able to see all the information you had inputted and can also open a door for hackers to exploit.
