Amazon Prime Video makes fun of Netflix after latter restricts password sharing on some markets

By Divya BhatiNetflix is on a mission to revive its falling subscriber base and to boost its revenue. To achieve its aim, the company is introducing several changes to the platform, including restrictions on password sharing. Netflix is restricting users to sharing their passwords with other people and is trying to monetise sharing. Earlier this week, Netflix announced that it is expanding its crackdown on password sharing to more countries, including the UK and US.

While the step of controlling password sharing with friends and family seems relevant from Netflix’s view, it is also giving its rivals an opportunity to poke. Recently, Amazon Prime Video UK took a jab at Netflix’s password crackdown policy and reshared an old tweet of the company. Going way back to 2017, Amazon Prime reshared Netflix’s tweet from 2017 where it declared “Love is sharing a password”.

Amazon further mocked Netflix by quoting a hilarious photo saying “Who’s watching? Everyone Who Has Our Password.– Everyone who has our password (with a heart heart). Interestingly, the photo looks similar to Netflix’s Who is watching’ page but Amazon swapped the Netflix logo with its name.

While the post was all fun, Amazon itself didn’t deny taking similar measures in future. In one of the replies to users, Amazon Prime video wrote, “Giggling and tweeting and hoping we don’t do the same.”

Meanwhile, Netflix is sending emails about account sharing to customers in 103 countries and territories, including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Mexico and Brazil. The emails state that a Netflix account should only be used in one household. If users want to share an account, they can do so by paying an additional fee. Netflix is charging a fee of $8 (Rs 661) per month in the United States, for password sharing.

The company has estimated that more than 100 million users had shared their log-in credentials to friends and family outside their homes. So to curb free sharing, Netflix laid out new policies stating that passwords are “meant to be shared by people living together in one household.” The company explains that only users who are part of a “Netflix Household”-those who are using the same internet connection-will be able to access the account.

However, users who are currently borrowing a Netflix password will get an update notifying them to start their own account and even the option to transfer their account. Although these users can continue using the same account if they are paid, additional users are added to a Standard or Premium plan.