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Disney+ will start its password-sharing crackdown this summer

Subscribers on traditional plans won't be able to share passwords with users outside their household unless they pay a fee.
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Posted at 1:31 PM, Feb 08, 2024

Disney+ will begin its crackdown on password sharing this summer.

In an earnings call Wednesday, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said "Disney+ accounts suspected of improper sharing will be presented with new capabilities to allow their borrowers to start their own subscriptions."

The "improper sharing" refers to subscribers who share accounts with users outside their household.

Disney is also allowing customers the opportunity to add outside users to their account for an additional fee, though that amount was not disclosed.

"We're looking forward to rolling out this new functionality to improve the overall customer experience and grow our subscriber base," Johnston said in the call.

Disney+ and Hulu have already begun alerting customers of changes to Hulu's subscriber agreements. The new terms — which go into effect on March 14 for existing users and have been in effect for new customers since Jan. 25 — ban password sharing for members outside of a subscriber's household.

The move follows the lead of competitor Netflix, which was the first platform to ban password sharing in an effort to combat subscriber and profit losses.

Netflix now charges an additional $7.99 a month to users who share their account with a viewer who lives outside their household.

Hulu cracking down on password sharing, including for Disney+, ESPN+
Remote with Hulu and Disney+ buttons

Hulu cracking down on password sharing, including for Disney+, ESPN+

This means no more mooching off a family member's account for movies and shows if you don't live in the same household.

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