Netflix has cracked down on password sharing with a new feature that allows users to log out of specific devices from their account. Found under the ‘Manage Access and Devices’ setting, paying members will be able to remotely view all devices that are logged in via their subscription, alongside the cities the devices are located in.
With this new feature, users can kick anyone off their account that doesn’t otherwise have the password, making it the perfect tool to stop exes and old friends scrounging off your subscription. However, in a blog post, Netflix discussed the “highly requested feature,” describing it as the perfect way to log yourself out of accounts you might have left yourself signed in on, such as in a hotel or at a friend’s house.
“With the busy holiday season just around the corner, many of our members will be on the move and watching Netflix wherever they are travelling 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.”
Although the streaming service does not mention the feature’s function as a crackdown on password sharing in their post, the arrival of the new setting comes after several setbacks, such as the loss of 1.2 million subscribers at the beginning of 2022.
It has been estimated that over 100 million households access Netflix content without paying by sharing passwords. This violates the streamer’s terms of service, which states that accounts can only be used by one household. Only time will tell whether the arrival of this new feature will lead to an increase in paying subscribers.
