Disney Plus password sharing crackdown explained

Just like Netflix, Disney Plus recently announced a crackdown on password sharing – here’s what you need to know about the upcoming rules, including when and where they’re being enforced.

It was once said that “love is sharing a password” – but those were in the nascent days of streaming, when Blockbuster wasn’t a distant memory and we didn’t have a roster of platforms to pick from.

Earlier this year, Netflix was the first streamer to combat password sharing, thereby limiting a subscription to a single household unless you pay for an additional user or continually verify your device.

For all that people complained and threatened to cancel their accounts, the move saw a spike of six million new subscribers as a result of the measures – so, Disney Plus is looking to take a similar approach sooner rather than later.

When is the Disney Plus password sharing crackdown happening?

Disney Plus will begin restricting password sharing on November 1, 2023 – but only in one location: Canada.

Updates to Canadian subscribers’ agreements were announced in email earlier this week, coming after the price hike and ahead of the launch of a cheaper ad-supported membership.

As per Mobile Syrup, the new terms state: “Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household.

“‘Household’ means the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein. Additional usage rules may apply for certain Service Tiers.”

While further details haven’t been confirmed, this does seem to imply a similar approach to Netflix with the optional paid addition of an extra user; higher-priced Service Tiers could include some sort of allowance on how many users outside the main household can access the account.

“We may, in our sole discretion, analyze the use of your account to determine compliance with this Agreement,” the terms continue.

“If we determine that you have violated this Agreement, we may limit or terminate access to the Service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this Agreement (including those set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement). You will be responsible for any use of your account by your household, including compliance with this section.”

Don’t worry, though: Netflix’s enforcement of password sharing has been relatively lax, so you may not be booted off your mum and dad’s Disney Plus account straight away.

Is Disney Plus blocking password sharing in the US, UK, and elsewhere?

Yes, Disney Plus is planning to restrict password sharing globally. Earlier reports indicated the platform’s revised strategy would be rolled out in 2024.

Disney CEO Bob Iger earlier said: “We are actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family.

“Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies. And we will roll out tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024.”

Iger couldn’t confirm exactly how many subscribers are sharing passwords, but said it was a “significant” figure and that Disney has the “technical capability” to monitor sign-ins.

“While it is likely you’ll see some impact in calendar 24, it’s possible that… the work will not be completed within the calendar year. But we certainly have established this as a real priority, and we actually think that there’s an opportunity here to help us grow our business,” he added.

That’s all we know about Disney Plus’ clampdown on password sharing. You can check out our other TV & movies coverage here.