You may lose your account as Netflix cracks down on freeloaders

Are you a freeloader? Do you piggyback off of someone else’s Netflix account, possibly even without the main account holder’s knowledge? Well, Netflix is implementing measures to make it easier to kick freeloaders off of accounts without having to reset passwords or credentials. 

The new feature is called ‘Manage Access and Devices,’ and it lets users control who is using their account. Users can then also simply remove parasites from their account without having to endure the usual admin. Essentially, this feature is primarily aimed at trying to turn parasites and freeloaders into paying customers. 

You see, Netflix’s stocks are falling, and the service is losing subscribers at an alarming rate. In January this year, we reported on the drastic plummet in Netflix share prices. And, only a few months later in July, Netflix tried to rectify the falling stock prices by charging select users for sharing their passwords. They even created a basic plan with ads so newbies don’t have to pay so much.

Netflix is taking the initiative even further next year when it launches the ‘extra members’ feature. Netflix detailed how the feature would monetize password sharing even further during its last investor earnings call. Essentially, the new feature will charge users an additional fee for sharing passwords outside of their immediate household. The feature has already been tested in Costa Rica, Chile, and Peru, and seems to have been a relative success. 

Netflix brass claims that it’s not just targeting intentional freeloaders, though. In a recent blog post, Charles Wartemburg, product manager for product innovation, said:

‘With the busy holiday season just around the corner, many of our members will be on the move and watching Netflix wherever they are traveling to see family and friends. Logging in to your account while at a hotel or even your friend’s house is easy and intuitive, but lots of people then forget to log out.’

What’s been made very clear, though, is that it doesn’t matter what the reason is; if you are watching Netflix on someone else’s account, Netflix would like you to kindly stop. More than asking, the company is actively working on a multi-pronged plan to stop people from sharing their credentials. Goodbye freebie Netflix. You’ve had a good run. 

Let’s just hope they sort out the Chromecast issues where the Netflix free plan with ads won’t work.