Netflix is desperately trying to find new revenue, and in 2023, the streaming service will start cracking down on the long-standing tradition of password sharing. How they’re going to do that is anyone’s guess, but some form of this measure is on the way.
Since the dawn of time, heroes out there have been paying for Netflix and allowing untold numbers of people to share access and watch millions of movies and TV shows for free. Boyfriends and girlfriends (and ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends), siblings, parents, roommates, random people you met once and drunkenly gave your login credentials to – it’s a list as diverse as you can imagine. Odds are, if you pay for a Netflix account, there are at least hundreds of people you’ve been able to help over the years.
But now, as Netflix continues to burn through giant piles of cash every second, the company needs to get a nation of freeloaders to start paying up. The streaming giant has already begun sending warnings of having “too many people on the account at once,” preparing people for the switch to what will soon become a zero-tolerance world.
The thing is, the state of Tennessee has been way ahead of Netflix since 2011, thanks to its “Login Law.”
What Is the Tennessee Netflix Law?
The Login Law is pretty simple: It forbids people in the state from sharing login information for sites that offer movies, music and other entertainment. What’s interesting is that the bill was pushed by industry professionals, who liken the act of password sharing to theft and piracy. And since the law is really primarily directed at people sharing and selling their passwords in large numbers, the logic for its existence does begin to make sense.
Tennessee isn’t the only place that sees things this way, either. The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has also deemed password sharing to be illegal, again through the rationalization that it breaks copyright law. And in 2016, the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled password sharing to be a crime prosecutable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
In other words, get your free Netflix in while you still can, because the gravy train is coming to a screeching halt.
So Will You Go to Prison for Sharing Your Netflix Password in Tennessee?
Don’t worry, you wouldn’t be doing hard time if you were somehow caught doing this and if someone actually wanted to prosecute you – the most you’d likely be slapped with is a fine and misdemeanor. Still, the vision of a SWAT team breaking down your door because you let Grandma sign into your Netflix account is a fun one – and not entirely out of the realm of possibility!
