Netflix’s anti-password-sharing measures became a lot clearer this week after the streamer updated its Help Center with support documents that explained how it’d be blocking devices that didn’t match the account owner’s primary location, but now it seems to be unclear as to what extent those will go into effect. According to a statement that The Streamable received from Netflix, the information, which went live in various countries, including the U.S., was published by mistake and isn’t applicable to subscribers outside of Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru. Netflix confirmed that it would be making a broader effort at cracking down on password sharing in the months ahead during its Q4 2022 earnings report, although the streamer presented little specifics at the time as to how it would accomplish that.
From a Streamable report:
“For a brief time yesterday, a help center article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, went live in other countries,” the spokesperson told The Streamable. “We have since updated it.”
The Netflix spokesperson confirmed that if and when the company was to make a change that significant, it would not begin rolling it out without first communicating the details to customers. Over the past year, the service has been testing anti-password-sharing measures in several Latin American countries in an effort to find the best solutions before launching them to subscribers around the world; unfortunately, like the idea of devices being blocked, those tests often resulted in significant pushback from customers.
The company continues to plan to unveil its new initiatives to curb password sharing before the end of March, but the Netflix spokesperson told The Streamable that some of the components of the plan will be staggered, presumably to allow users to plan accordingly and to assess how the efforts are working.
From Netflix’s original Help Center article:
Unblock a device (outside of primary location)
When someone signs into your account from a device that is not part of your primary location, that device may be blocked from watching Netflix.
If your device has been blocked, you have the following options:
- If you are traveling, request a temporary code to give you access to Netflix for 7 consecutive days.
- If you are not part of the account owner’s household, sign up for a new Netflix account.
When starting a new account or adding an extra member, members can transfer a profile from an existing account, including recommendations, viewing history, My List, saved games, settings, and more.
Stop device blocks
To ensure uninterrupted access to Netflix, connect to the Wi-Fi at your primary location, open the Netflix app or website, and watch something at least once every 31 days. This creates a trusted device so you can watch Netflix, even when you’re away from your primary location.
As a reminder, it’s easy to sign up for Netflix and we offer a variety of plans. As always, members can change plans or cancel at any time.