Netflix Cracking Down on Password Sharing in Four More Countries, Including Canada

Netflix today announced an expansion of its crackdown on password sharing, with the streaming service putting a stop to multi-household account use in Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal.

netflix1
In these countries, people who share an account with those who do not live with them will need to pay for an "extra member." Prices are as follows:

  • Canada - $7.99 CAD
  • New Zealand - $7.99 NZD
  • Portugal - 3.99 euros
  • Spain - 5.99 euros

Prices are per person, with up to two additional people able to be added to an existing Netflix Standard or Premium plan. The extra price will provide each person with a profile, personalized recommendations, login, and password. Alternatively, people who share a Netflix account with someone outside of their household at the current time can transfer a profile to a separate paid Netflix account.

Netflix will require customers to set up a primary location, ensuring that anyone who lives in the household can use the Netflix account. Netflix says it will still be possible for subscribers to watch content while traveling, however. The Netflix website has little information on how travel works, and Netflix did not provide details when requested. Part of the process of blocking account sharing requires users to set a Primary Location, and in Canada, Netflix says that for people who have second homes or travel frequently to another location, the Netflix app must be opened on a mobile device while connected to the Wi-Fi network at the Primary Location once per month.

For members with second homes or who travel frequently, open the Netflix app on your mobile device(s) while connected to the Wi-Fi network at your primary location once a month and then when you arrive at the second location.

This suggests Netflix will require monthly checkins at a Primary Location for the streaming service to be accessible if you are not at home.

According to Netflix, more than 100 million households are sharing accounts, which impacts its "ability to invest in great new TV and films." The company says that a Netflix account is "intended for one household," a rule that the company first started enforcing last year.

Netflix has already been testing restrictions for multi-household account access in several countries in Latin America, and it said in a Q4 earnings results release that it plans to enforce rules against password sharing more broadly in 2023.

Password sharing rules will be enforced through IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity. So far, Netflix has not made any announcements in the United States, but the company is well aware that it will not be a "universally popular move," as it said it is anticipating "a bit of a cancel reaction" as the crackdown continues. Given that pricing for an additional person is $7.99 in New Zealand and Canada, Netflix could eventually implement a similar add-on price in the United States.

While the Netflix terms of service have never explicitly allowed for multi-household password sharing, Netflix looked the other way for so long that implementing fees for offering account access to friends and family is likely to upset some subscribers.

Netflix's plan pricing also doesn't help, as subscribers pay for watching on multiple devices. With the Premium plan, for example, Netflix provides Ultra HD 4K streaming and support for watching on four devices simultaneously, now with the caveat that everyone watching has to be in the same home.

Tag: Netflix

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Update for iPhones Coming Soon — Here's What to Expect

Thursday September 25, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. MacRumors has also seen evidence of iOS 26.0.1 in its visitor logs in recent days. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple More Personal Siri Ad

Apple Responds to U.S. Class Action Lawsuit Over Delayed Siri Features

Friday September 26, 2025 6:57 am PDT by
In March, Apple delayed the launch of its personalized Siri features, and soon after the company was hit with multiple class action lawsuits over the situation. The plaintiffs said they never would have purchased an iPhone 16, or would have paid less, had they known Apple's marketing about the Siri features was false. In the U.S., all of the complaints were consolidated into one class...

Top Rated Comments

polaris20 Avatar
35 months ago

Good.

You can't share your Theater tickets and you can't share traditional cable. Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US and complain when their favorite show gets cancelled.
Even more bizarre that people think you should pay for four simultaneous streams, but not actually get to use them in many cases. A lot of people's kids are away at school, for example. You think it's okay for them to have to pay $7.99 on top of the $14.99, just because they're not home? Because that's the way it's looking like Netflix is going.
Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nermal Avatar
35 months ago

Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US
Netflix has previously implied that it's fine (e.g. a Premium account allows watching on four computers at once, therefore people watch it on four computers at once) and has even encouraged it in the past (the infamous "love is sharing a password" tweet). Whether it's right or wrong, I wouldn't call it "bizarre".
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jimmy_Banks Avatar
35 months ago

Good.

You can't share your Theater tickets and you can't share traditional cable. Bizarre people think its OK to share a $15 netflix account with their entire family all over the US and complain when their favorite show gets cancelled.
"Love is sharing a password" -Netflix
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haginile Avatar
35 months ago
What happens when I watch Netflix in Safari with iCloud Relay turned on?
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hsoj1006 Avatar
35 months ago

Time to pay up cheapskates.

Sharing passwords is a crime.
A crime? LOL. Hokay. It isn't, but hokay.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supergt Avatar
35 months ago
I rarely if ever watch netflix anymore. There are better offerings.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)