It adds a layer of annoyance for both you and your beneficiary, but it also ensures that total strangers aren’t breaking in, and keeps credential stuffing at bay. It can come in a few forms. Sharing passwords is as endemic to the Netflix experience as having your favorite show canceled two seasons in. The Streamable was first […] Check out our favorite. And while Netflix’s flirtation with a password-sharing crackdown is by no means altruistic—not that anyone has read the terms of service, but it does specify that your account “may not be shared with individuals beyond your household”—it’s also true that sharing user names and passwords with even your closest relations can have woesome consequences. And given how often people reuse passwords across multiple sites and services, that means your exposure could extend far beyond Netflix. Photograph: Aleksandar Nakic/Getty Images, thousands of accounts immediately popped up on dark web markets, Things not sounding right? A Netflix spokesperson told The Streamable, “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.” It isn’t clear if users in the test all need to be on the same IP address to be considered in the same household. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. “And if I’ve used that password anywhere else on the internet, the criminal’s going to find it, and they’re going to have access to that, too. About 33% of all Netflix users share their password with at least one other person, according to research firm Magid. About 46 percent of streaming video on demand customers share the log-in of at least one service they subscribe to, according to an October study from research firm Magid. The test could be applied for account security as well as sharing passwords. The most basic is also the most innocuous: While you might share your log-in with just one friend, you can’t control how many people they then share it with, and how many people those people share it with, and on and on, like an old Faberge commercial. A move to crack down on streaming password sharing at Netflix (NFLX +2.9%) is likely to bear fruit, Citi suggests, saying the habit costs streaming companies billions. Netflix has begun testing a feature that asks viewers whether they share a household with a subscriber, in a move that could lead to crackdown on the widespread practice of sharing … A Division of NBCUniversal. But its current trial also improves your security in the process. They could also, though, steal whatever personal data your profile holds. The streaming service is making account owners enter two-factor codes in a limited test. Netflix has begun to introduce two-factor authentication among its users, a new move to crack down on password sharing. Netflix's Password-Sharing Crackdown Has a Silver Lining The streaming service is making account owners enter two-factor codes in a limited test. “It would help prevent those attacks,” says Lorrie Cranor, director of the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Bad news for streamers mooching their Netflix access. But even if it’s not Netflix’s top priority here, you’re much better off keeping your password to yourself. … The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. A Netflix subscriber shared a screenshot on Twitter, showing that the streaming service is making a move to crack down on password sharing. Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC, WATCH: Netflix leads in Hollywood but laps the S&P 500: Analysts on what's next. Netflix announced earlier this year it topped 200 million global subscribers, but shares have underperformed the S&P 500 this year as investors have moved away from growth stocks. Netflix is testing a new feature on a small number of accounts to crack down on password sharing. If they’re unable to do so, they’re offered a free 30-day trial to start their own account. Remembering dozens and dozens of different passwords for different sites is next to impossible. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Netflix Tests a Clampdown on Password Sharing The company said a feature was being tested with a limited number of users, a move that might signal a … First spotted by GammaWire and then confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant is … The message reads: "If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching." Admittedly, freeloaders primarily threaten the cohesiveness of your recommendations lists. At long last, Netflix is making a real attempt at cracking down on password sharing. Netflix has allegedly introduced new potential measures that will prevent password sharing between multiple households or friends. Netflix is testing out ways to stop account holders from sharing their passwords -- and access -- with others who don't own a subscription. All rights reserved. ; … Depending on how this turns out, they will continue it or not. Netflix is running a test cracking down on password sharing. “Short term, what this is going to stop is the bulk sale of credentials of this type,” says Ragan. So when the streaming service starts testing ways to curtail that practice, it understandably riles up the many, many people who have come to expect communal accounts as a matter of course. The limited test that Netflix introduced this week is basically a form of two-factor authentication, the kind you hopefully already have on most of your online accounts. Some users have begun to see the following prompt when settling in for a binge: “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.” Below that, there’s an option to get a code emailed or texted to the account owner, which you can enter to continue watching. Netflix has historically ignored password sharing, even as about one-third of all users share passwords. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. The message asks the user if they live in the same household as the account owner, with a prompt to enter a code delivered via text or email. A new feature, which is getting a … All Rights Reserved. In that view, security is an ancillary benefit. Netflix password sharing may become a thing of the past, if the latest feature the streaming giant is testing proves to be a success. It spreads. Netflix has not put any big focus on password sharing in the past, but now a select number of users have encountered a pop-up asking them to verify their account via text or email. Netflix stock rose on Monday as analysts on both sides of the Bull-Bear debate weighed in on potential plans to crack down on password sharing. Netflix is testing a way to crack down on password sharing. Netflix is testing a crackdown on password sharing, reports Streamable. The year 2016, in particular, marked a sort of heyday for the company's laissez-faire attitude about password sharing. “There seems to be a misunderstanding that sharing passwords with known individuals is not dangerous,” says Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at security firm ESET. Netflix has never made a big deal about password-sharing, but a new test suggests the company may be reconsidering.. Netflix is trying out a new policy with … OK, but why? The much bigger issue is that the wider the password circle gets, the more risk you personally take on that your password will become compromised. The source familiar with Netflix's trial says that while the company has more or less freely allowed account sharing in the past—CEO Reed Hastings described it as “a positive thing” at CES in 2016—the situation has gone beyond that initial intent; the experiment helps explore one way to curb it that also keeps users that much more safe. And yes, it is always annoying when a gravy train goes off the rails. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Co-founder and director of Netflix Reed Hastings delivers a speech as he inaugurates the new offices of Netflix France, in Paris on January 17, 2020. Yes, security issues. In 2016, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings said at the … "This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," Netflix said in a statement. According to a spokesman, Netflix tries "hundreds" of tests a year with select customers. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. The practice of throwing a bunch of purloined user names and passwords at various services to see what sticks is known as credential stuffing, and it’s hit the media industry particularly hard in recent years. Netflix's basic plan costs $8.99 per month. Worried About Your Weak Passwords? Netflix is testing a new feature that could signal the start of an effort to crack down on password sharing. For many years, it seemed clear that Netflix wanted to be the latter. Ad Choices, Netflix's Password-Sharing Crackdown Has a Silver Lining. The media industry as a whole saw 18 billion attempts over that same stretch. It’s a compounding issue.”. As part of the new feature, some Netflix users will receive the following message before watching their favorite shows: “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.” The trial may not lead to a larger crackdown around password sharing. At least, though, a system that introduces two-factor lets you continue sharing, as long as you don’t mind passing along the occasional code. The Streamable first reported about the trial. The content streaming service, which now … Netflix, which boasts 203.67 million users worldwide, has been fairly sanguine about password sharing over the years, acknowledging that this practice just comes with the territory. According to research firm Magid, around 33% of Netflix users share their passwords with at least one person. What’s the actual harm if I pass along my password to a cousin or not-so-casual acquaintance? A source familiar with Netflix's trial says that the company is still in the very early stages, and sees the effort as a way both to verify who's using what accounts and to minimize the security issues inherent in unauthorized sharing. The company's standard plan is $13.99 per month, which allows users to watch Netflix on two screens at the same time. Spotted by GammaWire, some viewers … “The truth is that we shouldn’t be sharing passwords, and adding multi-factor authentication will help this process remain better protected.”. Look, we get it. If two users of the same account do not live together, they may be prohibited from using the same account. Netflix tests crackdown on password sharing Netflix is testing a new feature that would prevent non-subscribers from using a friend or family member's account. Evidence suggests that password sharing among friends and family for different types of accounts, such as streaming services, is a regular occurrence. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. Wired may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The test involves showing a new screen to users who may be using another user's account. Netflix has introduced trial measures to try and prevent the practice of password sharing with multiple households, it has been reported by the BBC. That's … actually not so bad. We want to hear from you. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Netflix must also fend off a slew of new streamers -- including Disney+, AT&T's HBO Max, NBCUniversal's Peacock and ViacomCBS's Paramount+ -- to ensure users aren't moving to competitive services. Netflix Tests Feature That Could Limit Password Sharing By Reuters , Wire Service Content March 11, 2021 By Reuters , Wire Service Content March 11, 2021, at 3:36 p.m. Got a confidential news tip? According to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix is trying to curb the long-held tradition of password sharing with a new feature that will catch people in the act. When Disney+ launched, thousands of accounts immediately popped up on dark web markets as hackers sniffed out the password-reusers. (Reuters) - Netflix Inc is testing a feature that asks viewers to verify they share a household with the account holder, the company said on Thursday, a move that could lead to a … Here's How to Fix Them. It’s not the end of the world. Christophe Archambault | AFP | Getty Images, Why Needham's Laura Martin is calling 2021 a digital attention recession, Netflix leads in Hollywood, but lags the S&P 500. Again, it’s unclear whether Netflix will expand this test, or explore other ways to clamp down on password sharing. Historically, Netflix hasn't done much to stop password-sharing, as strong growth in subscriber numbers and its stock price offset any concerns about lost revenue. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. It’s a little inconvenience for a lot more peace of mind. “Because I shared my password with you, and you got hacked, that criminal now has my password,” says Steve Ragan, a researcher at internet infrastructure company Akamai. Netflix has never made a big deal about password-sharing, but a new test suggests the company may be reconsidering. If you're using your sister's boyfriend's dad's Netflix account — listen up. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. It's clearly to Netflix's benefit if more people pay for access. Netflix is trying out a new policy with some customers, prompting certain people to sign up for a separate account if they aren't watching with the subscriber. But it’s still a surprise move from a company known to endorse password-sharing in the past. But that doesn’t mean you should be reusing your passwords. Analysts on what's next. Look, let’s be honest. © 2021 CNBC LLC. When WIRED senior writer Lily Hay Newman audited the Hulu account she herself was mooching off of a few years ago, she found more than 90 authorized devices. That’s just asking for trouble. Netflix is testing a feature seemingly meant to curb password-sharing between users who are not members of the same household. Between January 2018 and December 2019, credential stuffing attacks targeting video services doubled, according to Akamai research. And more than half of those people do so with the assumption that the person they’re sharing with will use the service repeatedly, versus a one-off viewing. The more of those people who actually pay for what they watch, the better Netflix’s financial position becomes. Requiring that you enter a code to access your Netflix account also doesn’t stop you from sharing your credentials. And yes, it would also potentially help Netflix’s bottom line at a time when the streaming giant faces more competition than ever, as not only Disney+ but HBO Max, Peacock, and beyond compete for your monthly eyeball candy budget. Netflix has generally ignored something that has obviously been going on for years: customers sharing their login and password with others outside their … Netflix has been fairly relaxed on people sharing accounts for years now, but it seems as though password-sharing could be coming to an end soon.. As … Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. © 2021 Condé Nast. Some customers are getting a message on their screens prompting them to sign up for their own account if they aren't watching with the subscriber. Netflix is just running an experiment to see if cracking down on pw sharing makes them more money than it loses. That's … actually not so bad.