Netflix ends password sharing in 'big market' India

Streaming giant Netflix has announced its decision to end password sharing in India - a country in which it has millions of subscribers.

It has said that Netflix accounts were meant to be used only by people living in a single household.

It also said that emails would be sent to those flouting this rule.

The company has been cracking down on password sharing across the world in a bid to boost revenue after a slump in growth since the pandemic.

On Thursday, Netflix said in a statement that an account is meant for use by one household and "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".

It added that the company continues to "invest heavily in a wide variety of new films and TV shows - so whatever your taste, mood, or language and whoever you are watching with, there is always something satisfying to watch on Netflix".

In May, the streaming platform had imposed restrictions on password sharing in several countries, including major markets like the US, the UK and France.

It also allowed its paying customers to include an additional member from outside their household by paying an extra monthly fee. However, this feature is not yet available in India.

Netflix has been wrestling with a sharp slowdown in growth since the pandemic, as competition heats up, households grapple with rising costs and it reaches what analysts see as saturation point in some of its biggest markets.

In the first half of last year, it shed roughly 1 million accounts. Though it later more than made up those losses, the declines jolted the company and sent it scrambling to shore up its growth prospects.

BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features.