Octopus Overlords

Note this contradicts information on Lifehacker, who are reporting only that devices detected outside of your home will need to be verified via a code sent to the account holder and input on the device within 15 minutes. I've read several articles now and both versions of the story are being reported.

The "must authorize on home network every 31 days" is apparently something they were testing in some South American countries.

Mind you, only two devices can stream at one time on the Standard plan. The Premium plan allows four.

I can understand wanting to maximize their profits by limiting account sharing. But I think the best course of action is to add a small up-charge per extra user outside your household, like family. Limit it to maybe 2 or 3 of these sub accounts to prevent people from starting a cottage industry of reselling Netflix. That could still be abused as well, of course. But it’s better than Netflix getting no revenue from people sharing accounts.

My mother uses my account. If they charge me an extra 5 or 6 bucks a month for her to watch yet another goddamn show about Egyptian tombs or ancient alien visitations (seriously mom, wtf), I would be fine with that.

There's a whole new generation of college students that's about to rediscover torrenting.

…and a whole new world of trojans and malware in the process.

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:52 pm But I think the best course of action is to add a small up-charge per extra user outside your household, like family.

That is something they've considered from what I've read. Doesn't sound like they have immediate plans for it.

I visit my family a couple hours away, sometimes for as long as a week each month. I share my account with them. Neither of us watch Netflix on a daily basis unless we're binging a series. I'd happily swallow a sharing fee. Otherwise I doubt I'll keep the constant subscription I have for years. We use Crave (Canadian service that has HBO and some recent-release movies) and Disney+ far more often than Netflix and Prime. And Prime has the added benefits of their better delivery options and Prime Gaming.

When we rent an Airbnb I often sign into one or more of my streaming accounts on the host's equipment, then sign back out when we leave. If their equipment is too hard to figure out, I'll watch my stories on my laptop instead -- but using their network. I guess Netflix won't travel with me anymore?

Sudy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:25 pm
The "must authorize on home network every 31 days" is apparently something they were testing in some South American countries.

One hopes that isn't going to happen here. I watch 90% on my TV, 9.9% on my laptop, and maybe 0.1% on my phone. Losing the option of that 0.1% wouldn't be a big deal, but it's still a pisser.

Unless you're stay away from your house for more than 30 days, this shouldn't be an issue.

My guess is that you'll be able to circumvent this with a router that has a VPN. When you need to re-enable netflix, connect to the VPN and you'll come from the same IP as the main account. Shouldn't be hard to circumvent. I'm a little worried about the traveling part of this but I'm sure there will be a way to enable devices that are, for the first time, connecting to Netflix on your account. We usually take a laptop for travelling since we never know how good the wi-fi will be at our AirBnB or if they'll even have a tv with streaming capability. We have some movies and old dvds the kids like (simpsons, king of the hill, futurama) that I take for places where we have poor wifi. We stayed at a place in Tennessee a few years ago and had terrible wi-fi but great cell service. Last thing I want is three tired, hungry kids without some way to entertain them with electronics.

If you use it you should pay for it. If it's too expensive, don't use it.


OTOH, if I'm a paying subscriber and I have to jump through hoops just to use the service, I'll probably drop it.

Bad news for my parents who use my account in another city. I originally thought they were going to add a "family plan" surcharge but it looks like they are just going to eliminate the sharing. I never take breaks from Netflix, but I should probably consider it since I'm not "always" watching something on it. The fact that my parents use it is one reason I haven't taken a break to this point... I get why they want to crack down on this, but I think it might not be a panacea for them.

McNutt wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:38 am Unless you're stay away from your house for more than 30 days, this shouldn't be an issue.

If you're watching on that device at home instead of on your TV.

JCC wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:06 pm The fact that my parents use it is one reason I haven't taken a break to this point... I get why they want to crack down on this, but I think it might not be a panacea for them.

I agree and I've had the same thought. My mother uses our Netflix account, and it's only because of her that I don't turn it off from time to time at my own whims. I think they may find out the hard way that a lot of their monthly income was discretionary spending that they will have removed the reason for.

They should probably allow for two 'fixed' IP addresses (routers) that act as 'authentic', not just one. This would allow people to use their accounts at two different places - but it wouldn't allow for people to just share their accounts with all their friends (at most, just one).

I don't think Netflix is eying casual sharing like one person sharing their account with a single family member (mom, college kid) but the people who share their account with 4 other people and they're all watching lots of content. Some of the younger people I know do just that. They share a netflix account among a group of friends. So there's 5 or more of them all using the one account.

For me, this doesn't move the dial at all with our usage or paying for Netflix. We'll still pay for it because they produce shows worth watching.

EvilHomer3k wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:44 am I don't think Netflix is eying casual sharing like one person sharing their account with a single family member (mom, college kid) but the people who share their account with 4 other people and they're all watching lots of content. Some of the younger people I know do just that. They share a netflix account among a group of friends. So there's 5 or more of them all using the one account.

So they really should find a way to target the 'oversharing' kids and leave the grandmothers alone.

So instead of having to connect every 30 days from a specific IP address, you'd rather they call you every 30 days and ask you to verify which actors were on shows in the early 70s?

I feel like I am the only one that has never shared my account. My in-laws asked once or twice, but I told them we sometimes are all streaming at once so we can't support any more users on the account. Also, I am pretty sure they have more money than we do.

I got in a heated argument with a friend of mine over this. He was SUPER pissed about the changes, even though he doesn't share his account with anyone. But he resented the idea that Netflix could "tell him what to do" with the account he paid for and that it was fueled by corporate greed.

I had two responses for that:

1. Not sharing your account outside of your household is IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE that YOU agreed to when you signed up for Netflix. They're not telling you what to do, they're asking you to not break the service agreement that YOU AGREED TO.

2. Is a company cracking down on shoplifting "corporate greed?" Or just good business practice?

coopasonic wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:02 pm I feel like I am the only one that has never shared my account. My in-laws asked once or twice, but I told them we sometimes are all streaming at once so we can't support any more users on the account. Also, I am pretty sure they have more money than we do.

You are not alone! I don't share our streaming credentials with anyone. When we visit my parents my dad always asks if we've seen the latest movie on Disney+ or some other streaming service and I ask if he had "insert streaming service here" and the reply is no and usually because "they always show the same boring stuff". Well then, you certainly don't need access to my streaming account then! Also, yeah they can afford a service or two.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:02 pm I feel like I am the only one that has never shared my account. My in-laws asked once or twice, but I told them we sometimes are all streaming at once so we can't support any more users on the account. Also, I am pretty sure they have more money than we do.

No, you're not the only one. I've never felt the need for it.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:27 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:02 pm I feel like I am the only one that has never shared my account. My in-laws asked once or twice, but I told them we sometimes are all streaming at once so we can't support any more users on the account. Also, I am pretty sure they have more money than we do.

You are not alone! I don't share our streaming credentials with anyone.

Ditto. It helps that I don't know anyone.

YellowKing wrote:2. Is a company cracking down on shoplifting "corporate greed?" Or just good business practice?

They way they are going about it doesn’t seem like a great business practice though. It feels like what you would do if you feel like your audience is trapped and can’t go anywhere.

That might have been true a few years ago, but that’s certainly not the case right now.

This has aged well!

Six years is an epoch in the tech space.

I'm confident they were looking at data and trends over the last three years and figured out just how much money they lost when people where watching way more streaming TV over shared accounts.

This will probably end up saving me money. I am not the ubiquitous Netflix watcher I used to be. If not for my sharing my account with my parents, I would be taking months at a time off. Looks like that will be an option soon enough. I've already warned my mom that the free ride may be over soon.

I would happily pay for a separate account for my mom, you know, if she had internet.

I've been sharing with my children. In reality they are doing fine financially and I don't watch much so this might well be the impetus to finally drop Netflix. I suppose the company wins if both kids start up their own accounts but I suspect that won't happen.

My wife asked her parents if they're going to pay for Netflix now with the changes (her brother shared his account with them). Her mom said she'll have to see. This is the same mother whose husband had eye surgery and had to lie face down for 2-3 weeks and could only get up to go to the bathroom and eat. They got an ipad for him to use but after a few days we were talking to them and they never signed up for a single streaming service. Not one. We shared our HBO Max account with them and the brother in law shared his netflix account. Our parents have money because they are apparently cheap. Apparently Gen Xers are the only ones paying for (and not sharing with everyone) Netflix. So thanks boomers and millennials. You've ruined everything yet again.

JCC wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:52 pm This has aged well!

Profit>love

YellowKing wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:23 pm I got in a heated argument with a friend of mine over this. He was SUPER pissed about the changes, even though he doesn't share his account with anyone. But he resented the idea that Netflix could "tell him what to do" with the account he paid for and that it was fueled by corporate greed.

I had two responses for that:

1. Not sharing your account outside of your household is IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE that YOU agreed to when you signed up for Netflix. They're not telling you what to do, they're asking you to not break the service agreement that YOU AGREED TO.

2. Is a company cracking down on shoplifting "corporate greed?" Or just good business practice?

Corporate greed? Is your friend 12? New to this country?

Show me a publicly traded company whose business related decisions are not 99% driven by corporate greed. I’ll wait (for him).

It's not corporate greed, it's corporate self-interest and taking care of the shareholders. Does that work out to look a lot like greed? Yeah, of course.

Semantics

While there is such a thing as corporate greed, I fail to see how not allowing your product to be given away for free is an example of it. Netflix is a business, not a charity organization. You’re not entitled to free Stranger Things.

I understand why people are mad. I get ticked off when I go to Old Country Buffet and pay 19.99 for the all you can eat with the fried shrimp add on...and they YELL at me when I then hand plates to my brother and his friends from work.

I'm honestly surprised they haven't done this sooner. If Netflix had wanted people to share accounts, they'd have implemented an app password type of system, of randomly generated passwords and a limit to how many you can have, without having to share your Netfflix password.

But the way they're proposing doesn't strike me as any different than any other apps that recognize location and need confirmation.

Yeah, the reaction to this strikes me as absurd, too. Yes, they've ridden the sharing wave to this point, but it's been against the ToS from the start. You like the service? Pay for the service.

Announced for Canada:

Under the rules, premium and standard account holders can “buy an extra member slot” for $7.99 per month each.

For that price, premium high-definition 4K subscribers - who pay $20.99 per month - can add up to two members who don't live in their household.

Standard subscribers, who pay $16.49 per month, can add one additional member for the same additional monthly fee.

Basic plans, which cost $9.99, and ad-supported plans, which cost $5.99, will not be able to add more members.

Netflix did not say when it would begin enforcing the new rules but characterized the announcement as the first step toward requiring viewers to have an account for their own household.

Yeah, heard that on the radio today. It sounds reasonable when you hear about the additional slots already being part of the package.

I didn't intentionally share my account. I regularly visited my siblings which leave in other country. When I was there, I login to netflix using their SmartTV once and never log off since when I visit, I can use their TV to watch netflix. Later they also watch some Korean drama series using my account.

Now the main reason I'm still paying for netflix every month my household rarely watching it is because my siblings are probably still watching kdrama series with my account. If netflix decide to stop that, then there is no longer any reason for me to continue to pay for it.

Rumpy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:29 pm I'm honestly surprised they haven't done this sooner. If Netflix had wanted people to share accounts, they'd have implemented an app password type of system, of randomly generated passwords and a limit to how many you can have, without having to share your Netfflix password.

But the way they're proposing doesn't strike me as any different than any other apps that recognize location and need confirmation.

They didn't want people to share account but they also didn't want to stop people from doing it until recently.