Netflix crackdown on password sharing

[jinjuku]

I don't get this: if you have a plan for a single session you can't log onto another device at the same time and stream correct? If I have a plan for concurrency viewing then I should be able to concurrently stream across the # of devices my service fee pays for.

I pay for 4 simultaneous streams and my parents use one and the other I use. What's it to Netflix to start resorting to that level of telemetry? Honestly there are a lot of other options and I find that we watch Netflix the least of our options. Didn't they have a banner year in 2020 in regards to subscriber growth?

 

[lovinthehd]

It's like drug dealing, get you on one level of dependency, then focus it

 

[Hetfield]

In a situation where someone is sharing with their mom or something I could see a case for it being ok but not with someone sharing with their college roommate in California when you live in NY.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[lovinthehd]

Maybe it affects their distribution grid costs? Have no idea if that's a thing Probably a sales/marketing construct to my mind....

 

[Irvrobinson]

The Netflix user agreement is clear. Multiple device use means within the same household. They’ve allowed cheating for a long time, and now they’re toying with getting strict. Figuring out which devices are in the same household is easy, obviously, so it’s just a matter of how much risk they want to take with their customer base by pissing off subscribers used to going beyond the user agreement. This is also the real reason why cable internet companies started limiting data use. WIFI made it easy to share an internet connection between households. Companies see revenue left on the table.

 

[lovinthehd]

So "vacation" or 'rental" could change things up?

 

[jinjuku]

The Netflix user agreement is clear. Multiple device use means within the same household. They’ve allowed cheating for a long time, and now they’re toying with getting strict

Pissing off paying customers is a bad business choice IMO. I've had Netflix long enough that they didn't have any streaming service. I was also invited to the beta when they had 50 titles to stream. Back then they were the only game in town. I've currently got Disney +, HBO Max, and I have Amazon Prime that is included with my phone plan.

They would do well to remember this fact. I don't see this doing anything other than backfiring on them.

I know there is a household requirement. Honestly let sleeping dogs lie. Pig's get fat, hog's get slaughtered. They've got me paying for 4 streams and it's been that way for years. Why piss in peoples cheerios this way?

 

[jinjuku]

From a Wired article (this makes me laugh):

not that anyone has read the terms of service, but it does specify that your account “may not be shared with individuals beyond your household”—it’s also true that sharing user names and passwords with even your closest relations can have woesome consequences.

Uh, setup a specific, and singular credentialed account for Netflix then you dip shits. The only thing you will end sharing is a user / pass that is only good for Netflix.

Here's a thought: Sell the service by the # of concurrent streams period. That is I sign up and initially subscribe to X # of streams and then give me the ability to pick stream one and if I want assign a user/pass to it. Rinse and repeat for the others. Just like their profiles work.

The household provision is an artificial construct. X # of streams is simply X # of streams at that point. Easy enough to prevent an account from multiple logins then. Or if you keep your streams under a single user/pass then you can only have X amount of concurrent logins.

 

[jinjuku]

WIFI made it easy to share an internet connection between households. Companies see revenue left on the table.

I wouldn't let someone else browse over my connection. That's a recipe for trouble. I did just setup a wireless 802.11AC bridge for a business. This allows a remote office to increase their speed back to HQ and dump their internet provider at the 2nd office. Should pay for itself in 12-14 months.

Getting 600Mbps over it with 40ms average ping rates.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I wouldn't let someone else browse over my connection. That's a recipe for trouble.

I know people that do this. On the selling side to make some extra money, on the buying side to save it. Mesh routers have made it more lucrative for the sellers.

 

[jinjuku]

I know people that do this. On the selling side to make some extra money, on the buying side to save it. Mesh routers have made it more lucrative for the sellers.

Oh I know, I'm a network engineer. Wait till the FBI show up at your door and confiscate everything looking for a pedo you letto on your network.

 

[panteragstk]

Oh I know, I'm a network engineer. Wait till the FBI show up at your door and confiscate everything looking for a pedo you letto on your network.

And this is why new devices on my network are automatically blocked and I get an alert. Can't have rogue folks running around on my network.

 

[nathan_h]

And this is why new devices on my network are automatically blocked and I get an alert. Can't have rogue folks running around on my network.

What method do you use for blocking? I would like to set up something similar.

 

[diskreet]

It's interesting that they are trying to do this. I know that some people travel with their devices, so they could easily tell it was still your phone or tablet. But what about when someone goes to a vacation rental or hotel and logs into netflix there? So many questions on how they will do it.

I'm not as offended by all this - I don't mind if I can't share my account as it's technically against their TOS. But I don't want myself blocked when I'm travelling or other off scenarios.

 

[jinjuku]

I'm not as offended by all this - I don't mind if I can't share my account as it's technically against their TOS. But I don't want myself blocked when I'm travelling or other off scenarios.

Netflix will send a confirmation # to you phone that you type in to complete the login. I have a google # registered so my dad, if it comes to this, can self service the two factor authentication.

 

[jinjuku]

What method do you use for blocking? I would like to set up something similar.

It could be a NAC system like FreeRadius. You can create either 802.1x certificate policies where a device has to have an SSL cert or else it won't be allowed or MAC authentication where you create a MAC address whitelist.

 

[panteragstk]

What method do you use for blocking? I would like to set up something similar.

@jinjuku put up a universal method that is more robust, but I use a Fingbox. There are alternatives, but this simple appliance does the job nicely. They have a desktop app and a mobile app that you can use without the box, but I'm not sure what features you actually get.

https://www.fing.com/products/fingbox

 

[nathan_h]

Thanks @jinjuku and @panteragstk this will help me start to investigate how this might work for me!

Back on topic at one point I seem to recall this move by Netflix was less about deliberate sharing among people you know which while against some TOS was less a problem than the black market sale of peoples passwords. The former could still happen by sharing two factor codes, while the latter would be thwarted. Apparently there is a thriving shadow market place for “hackers” selling people’s account credentials.

 

[Hobbit]

I guess I'm guilty. I signed into Netflix while visiting my sister who lives in another state. Last time I was there she was still using it... But if they block her I won't lose sleep about it.

I've been on the edge as to whether or not I want to keep Netflix anyway. First off, it seems since covid my rates have gone up twice. TWICE! WTF! This is a bad time to raise rates anyway. Where I'm really dissapointed in this there really hasn't been a lot of new content in the last year (beyond adding OLD movies).

It used to be internet, cable (or sat), along with a premium channel was ~$100/month. Netflix alone is now 20% of that. If one includes internet it's 70% that. I'm positive that people who have several streaming services are well past the cut the cord level. They just haven't done the math.

I have a strange feeling I'll be watching Pluto and it's kin and paying to stream individual movies on demand before long... But that's OK with me! I don't value it that much.

 

[j_garcia]

Netflix is definitely putting out some good content lately, however the price really is getting up there. Trust me, the chord cutters are very aware. The content is still good enough to justify it right now, but I don't benefit from watching the 1% of shows/films that are that good 100 times.