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Although Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said as recently as 2016 that the company was “fine” with sharing of account passwords with close family, and they’ve come up with a solution for number of devices per account since, thanks to the confusing and 30-years-old Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, it is technically illegal to share your password with anyone.
“Technically, there’s nothing wrong and potentially everything wrong with sharing your Netflix password with others or logging onto multiple devices,” Amy Smith, technology analyst at FitSmallBusiness explains of the perplexing issue.
If you’re as confused as we are, here’s a crib sheet for navigating this tricky issue that everyone does but nearly no one talks about:
It's Illegal
The act of sharing Netflix passwords has been decreed a federal crime, based on a ruling from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Who would actually sue you for this crime? Probably no one. But, "You need to be smart about it," Amy tells us.
"Netflix expects you to share your password with household members (spouses, kids, etc.), but if you pass along your password to a friend (which isn't recommended), make sure you trust that person." Seriously!
"The big problem is that you might share your login details with a friend who passes it on to someone else, and so on, which means your password could end up in the wrong hands," she warns.
What's the worst that could happen? "If a cyber criminal gets your login info, it could be used to create ransomware, which can hold a person's files hostage with encryption until they pay the amount demanded." Yikes!
Also, on the most basic level, make sure that you have the right account level that allows for multiple simultaneous streams before sharing the password. You don't want to be shut out yourself!
Unsafe WiFi Networks
"Your password could be hijacked if you're using an unsecured public network," Amy warns further.
To avoid this, "Make sure you're using safe WiFi networks. If you're wary of a network, you should download your shows or movies before leaving the house, Amy advises.
Airbnbs
"There's some risk that grows with the proliferation of smart TVs and streaming boxes, particularly those to which strangers have access, such as hotels and Airbnbs,"Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate with Comparitech tells us.
"A visitor might log into their Netflix account but forget to log out, and who knows if Airbnbs and hotels have taken precautions against such oversights?" So true!
"Some unscrupulous person could see your viewing history, obviously, but there are other risks. They could potentially alter account-related information that could lead to you getting locked out of your own Netflix account," he warns.
But that's not all. "It's also possible that a hacker, before you ever interact with the TV, could install malware that records your username and password when you log in."
