A Netflix crackdown on account sharing in the UK is expected to kick in this month, according to reports.
The streaming giant has held talks with UK telecoms groups carrying the service before it sends warnings to subscribers over password sharing, sources told the FT.
The US company is poised to tell rule-breaking customers they must move to new “paid sharing accounts” or face penalties, according to the Telegraph.
“There may initially be a bit of kneejerk reaction from some subscribers,” the Digital i managing director, Matt Ross, is quoted as saying. “We have seen a drop in viewing per account in Spain where Netflix has already started to crackdown on password sharing. The question is what the overall impact will be on subscriber numbers in the long term.”
How will it work?
Users will be asked to set a primary location and Netflix will use their Wi-Fi address to determine if the account is being accessed from another property.
If so, customers will be charged an additional monthly fee on top of their subscription package for every household.
The crackdown began in Canada, where the equivalent of £4.75 was charged per month per person, the Telegraph reports.
