‘Cancel Netflix account’ Google searches increase 2,939% after password-sharing crackdown

The decision to cancel UK accounts has increased in popularity as a result of Netflix's plans to limit account and password sharing
The streaming giant has started taking action against account sharing in the UK (Ian West/PA)
PA Archive
Nuray Bulbul25 May 2023

As Netflix rolls out its plan to crack down on password sharing, analysis of Google search data has revealed that many have searched for information about how to cancel their subscriptions.

Since the streaming service started emailing UK users who shared passwords outside of their homes, the number of searches has increased by more than 30 times the norm.

Online interest in ‘Cancel Netflix account’ increased by 2,393 per cent in the United Kingdom on May 24, according to comparison site KingCasinoBonus, while searches for ‘Netflix password sharing’ soared by 1,469 per cent.

According to research firm Digital-i through the Guardian, over a quarter of Netflix's 15 million UK members share their password.

Ionut Catalin Marin, CEO of KingCasinoBonus said on the findings: “Netflix’s plan to target password-sharing users is aimed at encouraging more people to subscribe. However, users appear to have been turned off by this move.

“These findings show a staggering rise in Netflix users looking to cancel their accounts. As the cost of living crisis continues to hit UK households, this change may encourage users to switch off for good”.

Customers in 103 countries and territories, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, and Singapore, received an email from Netflix on Tuesday, May 23 with information regarding sharing accounts.

The email that’s been sent to many users begins with: “Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live with - your household.”

In an effort to increase the number of members, it has also started informing users that sharing their account with someone outside of their family will cost them £4.99 per month.

However, some people are baulking at the expense in several nations where it has previously undergone testing.

According to Kantar, it lost more than a million members in Spain in the first three months of the year after charging 5.99 euros (£5.27) for an extra account.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in