Netflix and Disney+: towards the end of the ban on account sharing?

This will probably not have escaped your notice if you use these streaming platforms, but for several months, Netflix then Disney+ have strongly tightened the screw around account sharing. Unless you truly live under the same roof or agree to pay a few euros more per month with your subscription, it is now difficult to share access to your account with anyone. And that doesn't please Brazil.

A law that could spread

With a view to reducing piracy and making life easier for users, legislative proposals are being discussed in the country with the clear objective of “prohibit on-demand content providers from charging extra or blocking access to shared accounts in a location other than the user's home.“

To explain this wish, the proposal states in particular: “Charging additional amounts for access to an address other than the residential address is an abusive practice that limits the use of services by users, especially in cases of families whose members live in cities or towns. Different states, long-distance marriages, people who travel frequently.“

Rainer Grigolo, director of Procon RS (government consumer protection agency) adds: “If a streaming service contract allows two simultaneous screens, for example, it is not up to the provider to define the degree of kinship, relationship and residential address. In fact, the contract is not linked to an address as is the case for cable television.“

The MPA headwinds

But before we see these laws come into force and, why not, inspire other countries to do the same, many obstacles remain. One of them is none other than the MPA (Motion Picture Association). This entity which represents the interests of the main Hollywood studios (Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros…) as well as Netflix and Disney, is unsurprisingly not very motivated by this approach.

While the MPA welcomes Brazil's efforts in its fight against piracy, it states that there is still room for progress, such as the implementation of site blocking. She also sees this law against account sharing as a threat. His justification is as follows:The MPA opposes these restrictions because they would not only impact suppliers' revenues and freedom of contract in general, but they would also weaken copyright enforcement.“It is indeed difficult to simply state that it would be a significant loss of income for its customers.

It now remains to be seen what the next steps will be in this matter and what the MPA and the services concerned can do.

Netflix

Netflix is ​​an application and paid subscription service that provides access to an online library of several thousand films, series, documentaries, shows and TV shows.

• Downloads:
  401
• Release date:
  10/28/2024
• Author :
  Netflix, Inc.
• License:
  Free license
• Categories:
  

  Video – Leisure

• Operating system:
  

  Android, Online service, Windows 10/11, iOS iPhone / iPad
  

Disney+

Disney+ is Disney's SVOD platform. It is available on your mobile devices, computer, connected TV, etc. Films, series, documentaries, Marvel universe, Star Wars, it's all there!

• Downloads:
  56
• Release date:
  10/30/2024
• Author :
  Disney
• License:
  Free license
• Categories:
  

  Video – Leisure

• Operating system:
  

  Android, Online service, Windows 10/11, iOS iPhone / iPad