Disney has made it clear for a while now that password sharing will eventually be a thing of the past on its streaming platforms – that’s Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
Netflix’s decision to limit account sharing marked a significant change in the world of streaming. It seems that the company set a precedent, as Disney now wants to implement similar measures. Now, more news is emerging on UK shores about the crackdown.
Here’s all the information about upcoming changes. If you want to see the rules for using Netflix, take a look at our piece on Netflix’s password sharing crackdown.
We have a similar article on password-sharing restrictions on Max.
Disney
Disney
Disney
When will Disney+ introduce password sharing rules for the UK?
Towards the end of July, Disney+ updated its subscriber agreement in the UK to include details of ‘Extra Members’ – this was first spotted by Cordbusters.
The terms and conditions state the following:
Because the Extra Member feature is an add-on to the Subscriber’s Service Plan, the Extra Member feature cannot exist independently… The Extra Member will receive a subset of functionality/features available to the Subscriber under their Service Plan.
This means that main account holders will have the right to terminate Extra Members on their accounts. It may also suggest that additional subscriptions could come with more limited features to a normal subscriber, though we don’t exactly know the details yet.
The other key things Disney hasn’t stated is how much these new Extra Members will cost, and what date they’ll come into effect.
However, it does say that it will contact users with a new subscriber agreement, and that they will have 30 days from then before the changes happen. Considering the agreement is already up on Disney’s website, we assume that comms should be sent out soon.
When will Disney+ introduce password sharing rules for the US?
During an interview on CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that password sharing restrictions on Disney+ will be introduced in several countries this June. The Disney chief didn’t specify exactly which countries he meant.
However, Iger explained that the full rollout of the new policy will occur in September 2024. The new UK subscriber agreement may indicate it could be sooner, or that Disney is staggering the rollout across the world.
The first rumours around password sharing restrictions on Disney+ appeared as early as August 2023. Since then, CNN reported that Hulu emailed subscribers at the end of January 2024 to inform them that the limitations would be coming from 14 March 2024.
Currently, Hulu prevents people who don’t live in the same household from sharing accounts.
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
What do new password-sharing measures for Disney+ involve?
Those who share passwords illicitly will see a notice that they must create their own account to access the service.
However, it will be possible to add a member from outside the household to use a single account, but this will come with an additional fee. For now, Disney has not confirmed how much it will be.
According to the new UK subscriber agreement, these users will have their own profiles and logins, and they must reside in the same country as the main account holder. The cost of these Extra Members will be added to the main subscribers bill, and users must sign up directly through Disney+.
The Extra Member can cancel their account at any time, and main account holders can also cut off access. In addition, the agreement seemed to suggest that users may have limited features – this is similar to Netflix, which does not allow any simultaneous streams.
The new restrictions are, of course, intended to help Disney make more money following a drop in paying members – the streamer lost 300,000 subscribers in the US and Canada during the most recent financial quarter.
CEO Bob Iger hopes the new regulations will increase subscribers, as that’s what happened in Netflix’s case (via The Wrap).
We already have the technical capability to monitor much of this, and I’m not gonna give you a specific number except to say it’s significant. 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. Moving forward, I believe three businesses will drive the greatest growth and value creation over the next five years.
If Disney uses the same methods as Netflix, it will use a combination of IP addresses, device IDs and account activity to determine where the primary account holder is based, and block other uses from streaming.
The message sent to Canadian subscribers said that Disney will “…limit or terminate access to the service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this agreement”.