Most Americans Have Shared Streaming Service Passwords as Crackdowns Loom
By Movieguide® Contributor
As streaming services begin to crack down on password sharing, a recent survey conducted by Secure Data Recovery shows just how prevalent this practice is among Americans.
“To find this, we surveyed Americans across the country about their usage of streaming services. We asked everything from which services they use, which passwords they share or borrow, and which streaming services they would stop watching if password-sharing was restricted,” Secure Data Recovery wrote.
“In our study, we found Netflix, Disney+, and Max (formerly HBO) are the most common platforms for password sharing,” the survey reported.
Netflix recently cracked down on password sharing. Movieguide® reported:
Netflix started charging users to share their passwords earlier this year and it quickly paid off — Variety reported that the streaming service saw “more than 3.5 million gross sign-ups in the U.S. alone.”
Sign-ups have soared globally as well, with CNN stating that Netflix saw “a net increase of 1.75 million global streaming subscribers in the first quarter, up nearly 5% from the same period in the prior year.”
Despite Netflix’s attempt to limit the practice, many streaming service users still borrow and share passwords.
The Secure Data Recovery survey found that 98 out of 100 Californians share their passwords. Ohio ranks at No. 2, with 91% of users sharing their login information, followed by 89.8% of Floridians.
At the other end of the spectrum, Kentucky (35.4/100), Indiana (38.5/100) and Wisconsin (40.8/100) are among the top three states least likely to partake in password sharing.
In total, “69% of Americans have used someone else’s login for a streaming service in the past.”
“A majority of Americans are sharing logins with their family, but they are not the only people logging in for free. When it comes to sharing passwords, 1 in 3 people share with their partner, while 1 in 4 share with friends,” the study explained.
The survey also noted, “1 in 6 Americans have been kicked out of a streaming service they were logged into.”
Of those who were logged out, only one in 10 created their own account for the service they lost access to.
However, Netflix has noticed an increase in subscribers since the crackdown.
“The cancel reaction continues to be low, exceeding our expectations, and borrower households converting into full paying memberships are demonstrating healthy retention,” Netflix said.
Disney+ will also be limiting login sharing on its service as well. “During Disney’s Q3 2023 earnings call in August, CEO Bob Iger pointed to ‘significant’ password sharing among its streaming services, which also includes two-thirds ownership of Hulu, while declining to provide an exact number,” Ars Technica explained.
The crackdown began rolling out in Canada earlier this year. Movieguide® also reported:
Disney+ has announced that they will begin to crack down on password sharing starting next month.
These restrictions will begin in Canada on November 1. The streaming service announced, “Unless otherwise permitted by your service tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household.”
“’Household’ covers the collection of devices associated with a subscriber’s primary residence and used by the individuals who live there, per the streamer’s help center,” Pix 11 reported.
Disney also warned, “we may limit or terminate access to the service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this agreement” if people continue to violate the terms.
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