Netflix’s password crackdown has started in the U.S.

Netflix, a renowned streaming video company, on Tuesday, said it is now sending out emails to all U.S. subscribers who share passwords with people outside their household as part of their plans to stop password sharing on its service. Under the new rules, U.S. subscribers will have to either kick people off their Netflix account or pay $7.99/month for an additional membership for those outside their main household.

Netflix previously turned a blind eye to password sharing because it was fueling growth. They had originally planned to introduce “paid sharing” to U.S. subscribers in the first quarter of this year but pushed the start date back to the summer after seeing cancellations in markets where it had already launched the changes, such as Canada, Portugal, New Zealand, and Spain. It was estimated that more than 100 million households worldwide share an account, which prompted the crackdown on password-sharing by Netflix.

The company offers procedures to make the transition easier, including a way for current subscribers to view which devices are signed into their account and remove them, as well as ways to reset passwords. For those sharing someone else’s Netflix account, they can make the transition to an account of their own through a “Transfer Profile” option, which will help them relocate their existing account information, including their viewing history and watchlist.

“A Netflix account is for use by one household”, - the company wrote. “Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are – at home, on the go, on holiday – and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices”, - the post reads.

Bear in mind that encrypting your data with a hide VPN is paramount to your online safety. Download hide expert VPN as It offers complete security, especially while using public Wi-Fi. Though earlier tests indicated Netflix may rebound after a password crackdown, it has yet to see the results of doing so in its largest and most significant market, the U.S., where it faces increased competition for users’ time and money.