All about the Netflix password sharing crackdown in the US

scenes from netflix shows; from left, Bridgerton, The Queen's Gambit and Wednesday all in illustrated TVs on a maroon background

(Image credit: Charlie Gray/ Liam Daniel + Netflix)

published 1 February 2023

It appears Netflix password sharing will soon be a thing of the past. Yes, really.

The streamer has long warned users against providing their info to non-subscribers, but that certainly didn't stop viewers from indulging in that Ginny & Georgia ending or catching up on the Bling Empire: New York cast and all their drama.

Now, however, Netflix is taking the proper steps to ensure that people are not getting away with freebies. Here's what to know.

Netflix rolled out its password-sharing clampdown in Latin and South America in 2022 to much disappointment. Now US subscribers could see stricter regulations with their accounts as soon as March 2023, though specific dates have yet to be provided.

Netflix says sharing passwords, and in turn not raking in new customers, "undermines long-term ability to invest in and improve" its content and services. The company plans to use "IP addresses, device IDs and account activity from devices signed into the Netflix account" to determine which users are in the same household, which is a requirement for sharing account information.

While it's OK to share your password and other info with those you live with, things will get challenging for the users on your account who are based in another location. Yes, you might want to give your baby sis access to Bridgerton season 3 while she's off at college, but that might be harder given that you're not in the same place.

Let's say your best friends are all on your Netflix account in different locales and the jig is up. As the primary account user, you'll be asked to either pay an additional fee for their usage—which ran about $2.99/£2.50/AU$4 during the South and Latin America trials, according to TechRadar—or your pals will have to make an account of their own.

According to our sister site TechRadar, Netflix says that "you can use a VPN with Netflix on the Basic, Standard or Premium plans," but it's unclear how this will be affected moving forward when the crackdown is in place.

Visit Netflix's help center to learn more.

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.

Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few.

When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.