Forbes Innovation Consumer Tech Netflix Account Sharing May Still Be Safe For The Time Being David Phelan Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about lifestyle tech Following Feb 5, 2023, 09:04am EST | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Netflix is introducing new rules on sharing your account, but not as soon as it looked like this . . . [+] week. Getty Images Netflix has plans to crack down on those subscribers who share their account with others. Earlier this week it looked like that crackdown was coming soon, causing some panic among sharers. However, it now seems there may be a respite for password sharers, for now, anyway. MORE FROM FORBES Apple Watch Ultra 2: New Leak Claims Dramatic Price Jolt By David Phelan Mind you, it will come and Netflix has previously said that it will arrive before the end of March. Kate O’Flaherty has a good explainer, here on Forbes. On Wednesday, Netflix posted guidelines on its U. S. and other websites which showed what the crackdown will involve, implying the restrictions were imminent, if not live. The page was later taken down. As reported in The Guardian , Netflix said, “For a brief time yesterday, a help center article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru went live in other countries. We have since updated it. ” The three countries mentioned are where “paid sharing” is being trialled. This means that instead of just handing out your password to someone who doesn’t live in your household, which obviously doesn’t earn Netflix any extra money. MORE FOR YOU Meet The Unknown Immigrant Billionaire Betting Her Fortune To Take On Musk In Space Options Trading 101: Understanding Calls And Puts Super Bowl Party Shopping: Here Are The Grocery Items To Save On—And The Prices To Watch For Instead, you’ll pay a fee, which is $2. 99 a month in Costa Rica. That’s still a lot less than shelling out for two accounts. Netflix will ensure that you’re not clandestinely sharing your account by requiring those on the trial to connect the device where they are watching, whether that’s a TV, a cellphone or a tablet, to their home wifi, open the Netflix app and watch something at least once every 31 days. Well, presumably if you don’t watch Netflix at least once a month, then you might be asking whether you really need the subscription anyway. Netflix puts it like this: “To ensure uninterrupted access to Netflix, connect to the Wi-Fi at your primary location, open the Netflix app or website, and watch something at least once every 31 days. This creates a trusted device so you can watch Netflix, even when you’re away from your primary location. If you are away from your primary location for an extended period of time, your device may be blocked from watching Netflix. You can request a temporary access code to continue watching. ” When the trial expands beyond these three countries, and it will, even if it hasn’t quite yet, it seems likely that the same procedure will be followed. Netflix said, “As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don’t live with. ”. It also said the restrictions would be “a change for members who share their account more broadly”. Presumably this refers to people who share passwords with two or three others, who will find they can’t be quite so generous, or underhand, depending on your point of view. David Phelan Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.