No more anonymous profiles: Netflix introduces mandatory email addresses for shared accounts
Netflix is tightening the rules for its user profiles: from now on, each profile must be linked to a separate email address. This has drawn criticism from users.
With customisable user profiles, you can keep your Netflix account organised. Whether you set up profiles for other people who share your account, or for yourself – perhaps to keep documentaries and series neatly separate – is entirely up to you. Now, Netflix apparently wants to put a stop to this straightforward profile management: Ars Technica reports that, since 15 June, the streaming supplier has been gradually rolling out a change that links each profile to a separate email address. An exception is made for children’s profiles, for which there is still no requirement to provide an email address.
The change hasn’t reached me here in Germany yet: I can still switch between profiles and create new ones without having to provide an email address. Anyone already affected by the change will be asked to provide and verify an email address when selecting a secondary user profile. Apparently, the prompt can be skipped a few times, but it cannot be bypassed indefinitely. According to Ars Technica, Netflix has confirmed that this is a permanent change.
It has always been possible to provide an email address for standard profiles, i.e. those for adults. The advantage of this is that the person gains their own access to the account and does not have to use the main user’s login details. When logging in, a code is sent to the email address and the user enters it for authentication. However, providing an email address is now mandatory for all standard profiles. This can be a nuisance for shared profiles, such as those on the living room TV. Such profiles are not assigned to any specific person.
What is Netflix’s aim with this change?
It is unclear why Netflix is implementing this change. There is no official statement on the matter. The company merely confirmed the change upon request, citing greater security and convenience when streaming as the reason. Users speculate on Reddit that the requirement to provide an email address allows for better user tracking. This could also be used for marketing purposes and to reduce unauthorised account sharing.
Since 2023, Netflix has been trying to curb the unauthorised sharing of login details. Among other measures, this has meant that people outside your household can only use your account in return for an additional monthly payment – in other words, they can no longer stream for free. An email address is already required for this. Some users now see the linking of all profiles to an email address as the next step: a requirement for every user to have their own account, as is the case with Spotify’s Family plan, for example.
However, there is no obligation to create profiles. Your household can still stream all content via a single profile.
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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