Netflix to Test Charging Users a Fee for Sharing Their Passwords

Sharing your Netflix password with someone for free outside your household may soon be a thing of the past.

In a news release posted to its website Wednesday, the streaming giant announced that it will begin testing ways to make users sharing an account outside the household pay for the additional members.

"We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans," the company said in a statement. "While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared."

The improper sharing of accounts outside the household has affected Netflix's "ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members," the company said.

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At the recommendation of his sports psychologist, figure skater Vincent Zhou used Netflix for the first time after a positive COVID-19 test forced him into isolation. “I used Netflix for the first time in my life during my isolation. I’m not kidding,” he said. “My psychologist recommended I watch 'Icarus,' which is a documentary about how the Russian state-sponsored doping program was uncovered.”