Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Netflix begins sending emails to UK customers about account sharing

The streaming giant said a Netflix account was ‘for use by one household’ and those wanting to share must pay £4.99

Peony Hirwani
Wednesday 24 May 2023 01:36 EDT
Netflix exec Greg Peters speaks out on password sharing

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Netflix has begun sending emails to UK customers who are sharing their account passwords with people “outside their household”.

The streaming giant said a Netflix account is “for use by one household” and those wanting to share theirs must pay an additional £4.99 to do so.

This move comes after the company, which has lost subscribers amid stiffer competition and rising inflation, began a crackdown on account sharing last year in countries including Chile, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico and Singapore.

On Tuesday (23 May), Netflix posted a statement online, writing: “Starting today, we will be sending this email to members who are sharing Netflix outside their household in the United Kingdom.

“A Netflix account is for use by one household.

“Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are – at home, on the go, on holiday – and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices.

“We recognise that our members have many entertainment choices.

“It’s why we continue to invest heavily in a wide variety of new films and TV programmes – so whatever your taste, mood or language and whoever you’re watching with, there’s always something satisfying to watch on Netflix.”

An attached screenshot of the email detailed ways customers could share their accounts.

These included allowing users to “transfer a profile” to a “new membership that they pay for” or buying an extra member for an additional price.

Additional reporting from Agencies

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in