Netflix's crackdown on passwords makes it appear the streaming service has lost sight of what made it special and unique.
Whereas you used to be able to share an account's password without paying more, now additional users now have to pay an extra £4.99 a month, in addition to the standard plan of £10.99 or the premium plan of £15.99. The company has acted after losing subscribers from stiffer competition and rising inflation.
While an additional cost may seem reasonable given these issues, it feels like a huge step backwards for what Netflix appeared to stand for. Netflix made its name by disrupting the linear TV and satellite package model. I and many other young people admired Netflix’s new way of doing things.
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You could watch shows ad-free, without a dish, on a platform which was investing heavily into high-quality, original drama. Netflix duly benefitted by going from an obscure brand to a household name worldwide.
What’s more, it was far easier to share your Netflix subscription around than a traditional TV subscription - and the company didn’t seem to mind. In 2017, Netflix tweeted: "Love is sharing a password".
But these days, it feels like what made the company unique has slowly been chipped away. An ad-supported tier was launched recently.
Neftlix has rightly garnered huge acclaim for its original series, such as Narcos, which pushed others to invest in high-quality drama and led to a ‘golden age’ of TV. However, I and others have been left frustrated by the service cancelling a number of original series.
The company would likely argue that too many users like myself are enjoying productions that are costly to make but give nothing back in return. Nevertheless, other streaming services, from Amazon Prime to BBC iPlayer, get by without similarly tough restrictions.
Furthermore, arguments about loss of revenue feel hollow when the company used to encourage password sharing. Of course, economic circumstances change, but nevertheless in my opinion Netflix bears some responsibility for building up an army of users who were allowed to not pay for the service.
With the password crackdown, it feels like we’re being asked to pay more for less. Now that costs are rising everywhere you look, millions will have to give up something which takes away the cares of everyday life.
Other areas are following a similar trend. Football fans and pubs have to shell out expensive subscriptions to Sky, BT and Amazon even though they show just over half of the games live.
When I was a child, I could watch Champions League games and The Ashes cricket live on free-to-air TV. Both of these events are now behind a paywall.
It’s getting harder and harder to enjoy what you love if you don’t want to fork out huge fees. Not everyone shares my anxiety, given that sign-ups to Netflix have increased since the crackdown.
But other streaming services may be tempted to follow Netflix’s approach. I think most wouldn’t be happy with that outcome.
At one time, I believed Netflix’s disruption of the media was leading to better results for all. Now, I fear the company will be a trendsetter for all the wrong reasons.
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