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Entertainment

Netflix Alerts Telecoms Groups Over Looming Account-Sharing Crackdown (ft.com) 40

Netflix has held talks with UK telecoms groups that carry the streaming group's service ahead of a crackdown on account sharing expected later this month. From a report: The US group, which has said the free use of its platform has hit its ability to invest in new TV and films, plans to start warning customers over account-sharing violations in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the situation. Telecoms groups that use Netflix as part of bundled TV content have held meetings in the past week over the planned warnings, people familiar with the talks said. Companies such as Sky, BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk offer Netflix as part of bundled deals on broadband and TV content. But those close to the talks said there was a risk of complaints from some subscribers, many of whom have grown accustomed to sharing their account details with family and friends, activity to which the company had previously turned a blind eye. One person described it as being a "good partner" to groups that offer the service as part of their subscriptions. Telecoms companies' call centres are likely to field questions and complaints once the plans are enacted, according to a person familiar with the issue, which has meant that they have needed close co-operation with Netflix.
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Netflix Alerts Telecoms Groups Over Looming Account-Sharing Crackdown

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  • by TheRealMindChild ( 743925 ) on Wednesday May 17, 2023 @03:09PM (#63530217) Homepage Journal

    But those close to the talks said there was a risk of complaints from some subscribers, many of whom have grown accustomed to sharing their account details with family and friends, activity to which the company had previously turned a blind eye
     
    More like the company permitted and promoted: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/... [reddit.com]

    They only "changed their mind" beginning February of this year

    • They changed their mind because Wall Street is expecting growth and honestly Netflix underestimated customer willingness to pay. Alternatives like Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Go have shown them there are more dollars out there to capture.

      The real issue is there are no comprehensive solutions to all these streaming service. One search fists all, one bill to pay, with all historical and a good amount of modern content. The closest is Apple TV set top boxes with about ~$60 in streaming subscriptions and abou
      • If I wanted cable I'd buy cable. But then they'd get my bill back up to $120/mo (which is where it was when I cancelled years and years ago). Right now I'm paying a bit over $60/mo and that's going down by $16/mo when Netflix pulls this crap in my country.
      • by Zak3056 ( 69287 )

        The real issue is there are no comprehensive solutions to all these streaming service. One search fists all, one bill to pay, with all historical and a good amount of modern content.

        That's called "cable TV" and people have been complaining about it for decades, saying they should be free to pick and choose which channels they subscribe to and pay for. Now that this has come to pass in the form of a million different streaming services, the refrain is "we need to have one source for all of the things." No win situation.

        Personally, I think we should treat video media the same way we do music (compulsory licensing, standardized royalties) and call it a day. I'd also support a return to

        • That's called "cable TV" and people have been complaining about it for decades, saying they should be free to pick and choose which channels they subscribe to and pay for. Now that this has come to pass in the form of a million different streaming services, the refrain is "we need to have one source for all of the things."

          That would be more accurate if each streaming service was themed a like a cable channel, but they all have a bit of everything. It sucks that each service got tied to a studio instead of grouped by subject matter. I don't want Paramount's catalog, I want a catalog of sci-fi shows.

          • by Zak3056 ( 69287 )

            That would be more accurate if each streaming service was themed a like a cable channel

            Yeah, that went out the window when the "sci fi" channel started showing professional wrestling, the "learning channel" started showing Honey Boo Boo, and "Music Television" stopped playing music.

    • Re:Weasel wording (Score:4, Interesting)

      by UMichEE ( 9815976 ) on Wednesday May 17, 2023 @03:28PM (#63530283)
      That thread is from 13 years ago, when streaming was a freebie with a disc-by-mail plan and before Netflix had any original programming. Netflix has been publicly talking about cracking down on password sharing for more than a year. If Netflix doesn't provide compelling value for you without password sharing, then don't use it. Don't pretend like this is some kind of bait and switch, as no one is locked into Netflix hardware and Netflix doesn't do contracts other than month-to-month.
      • by dgatwood ( 11270 )

        If Netflix doesn't provide compelling value for you without password sharing, then don't use it.

        You're assuming, of course, that they actually are sharing passwords. The high rate of subscriber loss when they rolled this out suggests that this may not be a safe assumption, and that rage-unsubbing is going to be a big problem for Netflix going forwards.

        And even if people are sharing passwords, this effort is unlikely to be very successful. If people are so short on money that they can't afford $10 a month, they will also struggle to afford the password sharing add-on. You can't squeeze blood from a

      • That thread is from 13 years ago, when streaming was a freebie with a disc-by-mail plan and before Netflix had any original programming. Netflix has been publicly talking about cracking down on password sharing for more than a year.

        According to the Wayback Machine, Netflix added The "household" phrase to the terms of use 5 years ago, sometime before May 31st, 2018 [archive.org]

        4.2. The Netflix service and any content viewed through the service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.

    • with my Netflix subscription. The day this goes in Stateside is the day I cancel. They claim they're not losing subscribers over it though, so we're about to see.
    • More like the company permitted and promoted: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/... [reddit.com]

      They only "changed their mind" beginning February of this year

      Yup. You know who also changes their mind about the price after they get customers good and addicted?

      Drug dealers.

      Maybe we shouldn't act so surprised when we find a proven business model, being copied once again. Not like humans changed. Or addiction.

    • That's a random low level csr that has no say in actual policy
  • I understand. But I had seen everything and the value proposition was going to see stuff with my best friend at her house.

    So I cut them (just as sandman came out- boy did I miss that by a week) and added in Hulu, Apple TV, and HBO Max. And now I've cut Hulu and HBO Max. I'll pick up some other service with new content after I watch Schmigadoon. And in a year or so, I'll pick back up Netflix for 3 months.

    There is no point in staying with a particular streaming service. Sure it *may* add one new show

    • So much this.

      I think the only active subscription we have at the moment is with (don't call it HBO) Max, but we've had subscriptions to Disney+, Netflix, Showtime, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, and probably one or two more I've forgotten at various points in the last six months. We'll sign up, immediately put in the request to cancel, and will watch the stuff we want to watch. Then we'll do something else. Once there's enough content we'll sign up again and repeat the process, but there are months-long stretches

    • YouTube competes with CraveTV for that "comb filtered mono sourndtrack" that we can pretend is stereo. Both compress the video to unrecognizable ratshit though.

  • This will kill Netflix.

    Frankly, they are hanging by a thread.

    Their new content is mostly shit.

    What's coming up appears to be worse.

    And this penny pinching crap is turning off customers. LITERALLY.

    Two years from now Netflix will be owned by Disney or Amazon.

     

    • Two years from now Netflix will be owned by Disney or Amazon.

      You know, that could actually be the plan now.

    • by fermion ( 181285 )
      This is about managing expectations. The mobile companies in the US are offering a family of four phones for $120 a month. Part of that deal is a streaming account. Is that an account for each phone, or for the family? Is the ac ointment you pay for per person, or for an extended group? This becomes a more significant question as Europe considers streaming services to pay for the bandwidth end user consume.
  • by Arnonyrnous Covvard ( 7286638 ) on Wednesday May 17, 2023 @03:45PM (#63530343)
    Pray I don't alter it any further!
    • Pray I don't alter it any further!

      Wait, you're gonna take away my scroll-til-you-can't-find-shit-to-watch app?

      Oh the horror of having to find someone else to give my scrollvertising to.

      • I abandoned TV in 1993 (I was in high school). I came back via streaming services in 2017 to catch up on the latest decent sci-fi and fantasy shows, mostly Altered Carbon and all the new Star Wars stuff. I caught up on everything I cared about "missing" for the last @25 or so years. It took me about a year because I cannot ingest more than about an hour a day anyway. Then I ditched them all again and I'm actually having a better life without TV (or streaming or whatever they go to next to show motion pictur
        • There are so many old ones that I haven't read yet, I never have to worry that something was written by AI to serve me some propaganda or wokester shit.

          Thank you for reminding me why we need to keep those "old ones" in PRINT. Allowing them to become digital entities in the future, enables those perpetuating alternative messaging, to eradicate beliefs from the past and modify as they see fit.

          You will erase actual history this way. Guaranteed.

          • You will erase actual history this way. Guaranteed.

            That was a main theme in Fahrenheit 451. It's next after I finish the series I'm reading. I re-read it and Tolkien at least once a decade. Remember the part about "The Family" that Montag's wife was all into? Social Media.

  • Maybe ... (Score:5, Funny)

    by PPH ( 736903 ) on Wednesday May 17, 2023 @03:45PM (#63530345)

    ... they could switch to a content delivery system which used some sort of physical "token" that could ensure the exclusive viewing of the related content to one location at a time. This token could be delivered and returned via US Mail. In fact, the content could be loaded onto this token, facilitating both the exclusivity plus the transfer of program material.

    • by rskbrkr ( 824653 )
      Perhaps the "token" can take the physical form of a thin disk, maybe one with a circular hole in the middle.
    • ... they could switch to a content delivery system which used some sort of physical "token" that could ensure the exclusive viewing of the related content to one location at a time. This token could be delivered and returned via US Mail. In fact, the content could be loaded onto this token, facilitating both the exclusivity plus the transfer of program material.

      (Netflix) "You have a very creative way of saying 'redbox'. Been there. Done that."

  • They'll be even worse off once the WGA strike is over and they actually have to pay writers.

  • by Petersko ( 564140 ) on Wednesday May 17, 2023 @04:55PM (#63530557)

    Some people are mentally stuck between the agreement in place and the agreement they want it to be. It deserves exactly 30 seconds of your time. Decide to keep it, or decide to cancel... once you've decided, let it go. Or how about this? Wait until they actually come knocking, then decide. If you're not an egregious violator, you may find yourself unbothered.

  • I cancelled their ass when they first floated this ill-conceived idea. Proudly flying the Jolly Roger into the sunset.

  • I think Netflix subscribers may start cracking down on their payments to netflix in response.

    blowback.

  • Netflix has reportedly engaged in discussions with UK telecoms companies that provide its streaming service, as it anticipates a forthcoming crackdown on account sharing. The move comes in response to the growing concern over users sharing their Netflix login credentials with others, potentially leading to lost revenue for the company. This proactive approach indicates Netflix's commitment to protecting its intellectual property and ensuring fair access to its services. By collaborating with telecoms groups
  • DirecTV created "pirate" access cards in order to "advertize" their system. When people took advantage of the companies offer, the company got upset because "those people" were not paying them money. A battle ensued wherein DirecTV tried, at massive expense, to shut down the side-channel access that it created. Once the "side-channel" was closed, DirecTV went bankrupt.

    Same think with NetFlix. They sold subscriptions and then got upset when people used that for which they had payed.

    When the dust settles,

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