Following Netflix’s lead, Disney+ is gearing up to keep its subscribers from sharing their accounts with others, starting with new password-sharing rules in Canada.
Those rules come in a revised user agreement that puts its account-sharing policy in black and white; namely, that “you may not share your subscription outside of your household,” and that “household” means “the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein,” as The Streamable reports.
Disney has since confirmed its intention to “clarify” its password-sharing rules, telling The Streamable that the revised rules will also be heading for “several” other territories, including the U.S. “later this year.”
The revised subscriber agreement, which goes into effect on November 1, goes on to state that Disney may “analyze the use of your account” and, “if we determine that you have violated this Agreement, we may limit or terminate access to the Service,” according to MobileSyrup.
Disney’s revamped user agreement shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that Disney CEO Bob Iger telegraphed the move last month.
“Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies,” Iger said during an August investor, adding that “we will roll out tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024.”
Disney’s baby steps toward a password-sharing crackdown follow those of Netflix, which took years to deploy its account-sharing policies.
Back in May, Netflix finally made its password-sharing crackdown official in the US, setting a $7.99-per-month charge for each “extra member” on a primary Netflix account.
And while the clamp down on account sharing isn’t a big hit with users, it’s apparently working, with Netflix announcing that it had gained an eye-popping 5.6 million subscribers in the second quarter.
Updated shortly after publication with more details about Disney’s updated user agreement for Canada.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.