Disney has officially begun cracking down on password and account sharing, rolling out what it’s calling a “Paid Sharing Program” to users in the US and many parts of the world this week.
The company teased the change during an earnings call earlier this year, but today’s launch marks an official policy and plan to transition users who share accounts to their own subscriptions.
According to a blog post published Wednesday, the paid sharing program has a few options for users. Those who share their account with non-family members can add them as “additional members,” which will cost $6.99 per month for Disney+ Basic and $9.99 per month for Disney+ Premium, both of which are discounted from the regular retail price. Only one additional member is allowed per account and is not available as part of a Disney bundle.
Additionally, users who share an account can also subscribe to Disney+ on their own and transfer their eligible profiles to the new account, preserving their viewing history and settings.
According to the Disney+ Help Center, “Disney+ automatically detects and establishes your household based on factors like subscription activity, linked devices, and internet connection.” If you think you’re watching outside of your household, you may need to enter a one-time password to verify that you’re adding a location to your household or that you’re traveling away from home.
The crackdown on account sharing comes as Disney+ plans to increase the prices of most of its plans next month, as well as the release of a number of highly anticipated titles, including “Agatha All Along” and the Disney+ debut of “Inside Out 2.”
Netflix began cracking down on password sharing last year with immediate results, and executives have said account churn remains low. Then Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max said it would also start cracking down on account sharers later this year.