Netflix is testing a feature that limits password sharing
The Netflix service is testing a feature that appears to be aimed at limiting password sharing among users who aren't individuals in the same household.
A picture of an email asking the user to sign up for the service was shared for free today on Twitter and reported by multiple outlets that confirmed the test.
In a Netflix claim shared via Twitter, the service states that if you do not live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to continue watching.
A small number of Netflix users receive a message asking them to confirm that they are living with the account owner by entering details from a text message or email sent to the owner.
This policy was included in Netflix's terms of use, although the company and other streaming services refused to take strict measures on participation.
A spokesperson for the service said: This test is designed to help ensure that people who use Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.
And it seems that the service is tempting those users to sign up for a free 30-day trial of the service.
Netflix officially canceled its free trial offer last year, even though it offered free upgrades to the higher plans during the first month after a user signed up or rejoined Netflix.
And if you sign up for the Standard plan, Netflix may push you to the Premium plan for a trial period, and the advantage here is to try features, such as: streaming in HD or UHD, or simultaneous viewing across multiple devices, or additional devices to continue downloads for offline viewing.
And the company appears to be offering exceptions to the free trial for people it knows are using their service, but aren't paying for it.
And according to a survey of 1,546 adults in the US from LendingTree, it was found that 4 out of 10 respondents use someone else's credentials to broadcast.
In addition, the survey found that Netflix was the most popular account for borrowing, with 52 percent of respondents reporting that they used Netflix through someone else's account.
Netflix frequently experiments with everything from programmed to timer-based rendition, and the company often says that tests don't always lead to a broader rollout of a feature or tool.
The same may be true of the current experiment with password sharing.