The threat of the end of account sharing on Netflix has been brandished in the face of subscribers for several weeks. Will it really be applied in France?
This is a measure that has worried Netflix subscribers for several months: the end of account sharing. In some countries, this will take effect at the end of the first quarter of 2023 with terms that have already been detailed: people who do not live with you will no longer be able to use your Netflix account. If devices that are not associated with the “primary address” of the account attempt to connect to it, they could be blocked. The platform also specifies that members associated with the account must connect to the home Wi-Fi network and watch content every 31 days in order to continue using the account.
But do these measures concern France? Netflix confirmed with Linternaute that to date, French subscribers were not yet affected by this measure and that no announcement on account sharing in France could be made to date. This does not mean that the end of account sharing will never apply to French subscribers: Netflix could not confirm to us that these measures would never affect France, nor that the terms of account sharing would be the same. than those enacted above, where applicable.
What will change the end of account sharing on Netflix
For now, the end of account sharing is not relevant for French Netflix subscribers. But the contours of this measure have been shared in the Netflix FAQ for other countries, such as Costa Rica for example. If this measure affects France, it is possible that the procedures enacted in other countries are the same here. We detail below what will change in certain countries in terms of account sharing at the end of the first quarter of 2023:
- You must be part of the same household to connect to Netflix. Only people who live with the person who owns the account, and therefore share the primary address, can use that person’s Netflix account.
- Checks will be put in place. Netflix has planned to verify that it is the members of the household who are using the Netflix account. How ? By connecting to the home Wi-Fi network and watching content from the platform there at least every 31 days.
- Planned blockages. Netflix may block devices that will log into your account without being associated with the primary address. For this, the platform will geolocate the connections by checking the IP address. However, no financial penalty is provided for in the event of “fraud”.
- How to connect to your own account when you are not at home? If you are traveling or on the go but want to continue enjoying the Netflix catalog through the account you are paying for, you can obtain a temporary code from Netflix. However, this code will only be valid for 7 consecutive days.
How does account sharing work on Netflix in France?
The new terms and conditions for ending account sharing on Netflix do not concern, for the moment in any case, France yet. But how does account sharing work for subscribers in France currently? The country’s FAQ (frequently asked questions) specifies that people who don’t live in your household must use their own account to watch Netflix.
However, the verification system is not as strict as what may apply in other countries: in the case of connecting to the Netflix account outside the main household, you are asked to verify the device that is trying to log in by entering a code sent to the main account holder within 15 minutes. This verification can be done periodically. Besides, the primary account holder does not need to verify their device to watch Netflix even when traveling. There is currently no requirement to connect to home Wi-Fi every 31 days in France.