In a move that’s less surprising than it is inevitable, Peacock has begun warning its subscribers that the days of carefree password sharing are coming to an end.
Peacock users have begun receiving emails from the streamer about impeding changes to its terms of service, and among the provisions is one aimed directly at account sharers.
The revised agreement says that “unless permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household,” The Streamable reports.
The updated terms also note that Peacock is keeping an eye on how you’re using your account, and “if we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated these Terms of Service, we may limit, suspend or terminate access to the Peacock service.”
If that language sounds familiar, it’s because Disney used almost the exact same wording when it updated its own terms of service last fall.
That move turned out to be a prelude to a full-on password-sharing crackdown, with Disney+ (along with Hulu and ESPN+) now charging extra for those subscribers who wish to share their passwords.
Peacock’s new terms of service agreement is slated to go into effect January 5, according to The Streamable.
Peacock hasn’t yet detailed how it plans to deal with password sharers, but the streamer will likely follow the lead of Disney+ and Netflix, which both allow their subscribers to purchase “extra members” on their accounts for a monthly fee.
Disney+, for example, charges $6.99 a month for its “with-ads” subscribers to add an extra member to their accounts, while Disney+ Premium users must fork over $9.99 a month per extra member.
Meanwhile, Netflix charges $7.99 a month for extra users on an account, regardless of the tier.
It seems inevitable that most of the big streaming services will adopt a similar strategy when it comes to password sharing. Take Max, which just announced it will begin with some “early, gentle messaging” to subscribers it suspects of sharing their accounts.
Ultimately, the streamer will roll out “a way to essentially add a member,” a Max exec recently said.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.