Sarah Try, a South African expat living in Cape Town, shares a Netflix account with her sisters. Although the password-sharing ban is yet to be enforced in her household, she anticipates it will take effect soon. And when it does, Sarah doubts she will sign up for the platform. "I don't think I will get my account. While I watch it quite often, I know I don't use it enough to warrant subscribing for myself."
According to Sarah, many Netflix customers may switch streaming platforms or downgrade plans due to the new crackdown Netflix just implemented in the UAE on password sharing.
Several UAE residents have received notifications asking for confirmation on their primary devices as part of the streaming giant's global crackdown.
Those living in different households must sign up for their own accounts, according to the Netflix website, since an "account is meant to be shared by people who live together in one household."
It's also because Sarah wants to watch a variety of content on Netflix that she's hesitant to open an account. It is important for her preteen son to watch more worthwhile shows on the platform, according to a South African national. "My son is 11 and he doesn't find anything interesting on Netflix. He prefers either YouTube or Disney+. So, when it comes to getting a new subscription, the chances are more that my husband and I will opt for Disney+. I do wish though, that instead of banning it outright, Netflix had introduced a family-sharing option. That might have prompted us to sign on."
Users can add an extra member to their Netflix account for $7.99 per month. However, this service is currently not available in the UAE as per the streaming service’s website.
Meanwhile, Dubai resident and primary account holder Areeb Siddiqui has adopted a wait-and-watch approach. “I have a Netflix account which I share with my family,” he said. “However, I have some misgivings. For example, I travel a lot for work, and I sometimes watch Netflix on a flight or abroad. Will this mean my family back home cannot watch Netflix when I log in? My wife, who spends at least a quarter of the year with her family in Canada and the children, also uses our account there.”
Due to these limitations, Areeb is considering downgrading his account. “I have the Premium account so we could all share it on different devices,” he said. “But with the new rules, I will downgrade it to the basic account because there will be no point in having it on different devices if they all have to be on the same IP address.”
Previously, Netflix revealed that it could detect and restrict password sharing by noting the WiFi network and IP address of devices on its platform.