Disney+ Password Sharing Crackdown To Begin In June
Ever since Netflix started its account sharing crackdown, resulting in over 20 million new subscribers signing up to the service, it’s been a case of when rather than if other streaming services would follow suit.
Both Disney and Warner Brothers Discovery have previously stated they will also be cracking down on password sharing. Disney introduced some new terms and conditions last month stating that you couldn’t share your Disney+ or Hulu account with anyone outside of your household.
Today, during an interview with CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that they will begin to crack down on password sharing on Disney+ in June in a few countries, with a wider rollout in September. This will be similar to how Netflix began testing its crackdown in some countries, which allowed them to tweak and test how the restrictions were working before going to a wider audience.
Up until recently, Disney hasn’t enforced some of its own restrictions, such as limiting how many people can stream at once, aka concurrent streaming. When Disney+ launched, the limit was set to only allowing four screens to watch at any one time. With the introduction of some new tiers internationally, this was reduced to just two screens at once on the cheaper plans. So, this is likely to be one way of making sure fewer people are using a single account.
When Netflix launched its password-sharing crackdown, it started prompting more people to sign in more regularly, especially if they were logging in from different locations. Netflix also introduced an option to add another household onto a subscription plan at an additional cost. Disney CEO Bob Iger has previously said they would offer something similar.
The introduction of account sharing restrictions is no doubt going to cause many issues for Disney+ subscribers, since many people share their accounts with friends and family. Additional issues exist, such as with college students who only live away for a limited time or people who work away from home a lot. Other potential issues involve a split family or even going on vacation.
Details on how Disney is planning on cracking down on password sharing haven’t yet been revealed, and we should expect more details on how this is going to work at a later date.
But right now, I’d suggest not worrying too much until we know the full details, but if someone outside your household is using your account, you might want to give them a heads-up that things might change, and they might need to consider getting their own account soon. As Bob Iger mentioned today in the interview, it is very much a warning shot that things are changing.
Do you share your Disney+ account? Let us know on social media!
Roger Palmer
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