--- title: Netflix Loses 1 Million Spanish Users Over Password Policing description: It’s a sign that the streaming giant’s crackdown on password-sharing could backfire. canonical: https://time.com/6274627/netflix-loses-million-spanish-users-password-policing/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-04-26T07:30:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:15:26.858Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Netflix Loses 1 Million Spanish Users Over Password Policing og:description: It’s a sign that the streaming giant’s crackdown on password-sharing could backfire og:url: https://time.com/6274627/netflix-loses-million-spanish-users-password-policing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4bc975564c6bf08d/698a3c3f16d884e1b8c3bc26/Netflix-Password-Sharing-Lose-Subscribers.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Netflix og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Netflix Loses 1 Million Spanish Users Over Password Policing twitter:description: It’s a sign that the streaming giant’s crackdown on password-sharing could backfire twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4bc975564c6bf08d/698a3c3f16d884e1b8c3bc26/Netflix-Password-Sharing-Lose-Subscribers.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Netflix Loses 1 Million Spanish Users Over Password Policing > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Bela Bajaria Explains the Netflix Crackdown on Password Sharing at the TIME100 Summit [Watch (HLS stream): Bela Bajaria Explains the Netflix Crackdown on Password Sharing at the TIME100 Summit](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PBFUfa8L.m3u8) (2:13)  _Published 2022-06-23. Bela Bajaria, Head of Global TV at Netflix, Explains the Company's Recent Crackdown on Password Sharing at the TIME100 Summit_ by [Clara Hernanz Lizarraga and Thomas Seal / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Clara Hernanz Lizarraga and Thomas Seal / Bloomberg Contributor Apr 26, 2023 7:30 AM UTC Bela Bajaria, Head of Global TV at Netflix, Explains the Company's Recent Crackdown on Password Sharing at the TIME100 Summit by [Clara Hernanz Lizarraga and Thomas Seal / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Clara Hernanz Lizarraga and Thomas Seal / Bloomberg Contributor Apr 26, 2023 7:30 AM UTC Netflix Inc. lost more than one million users in Spain in the first three months of 2023 according to market research group Kantar, a sign that the streaming giant’s [crackdown on password-sharing](https://time.com/6251148/netflix-password-sharing-crackdown-rules/) could backfire. In early February, Netflix introduced a €5.99 ($6.57) monthly fee for users in Spain who shared their log-in details with another household and technical measures to detect such sharing. The move was linked to a fall in users of more than a million, two thirds of whom were using someone else’s password, according to Kantar’s research, which is based on surveys of household streaming habits. “It’s clear this steep drop is due to the crackdown,” said Dominic Sunnebo, global insight director at Kantar’s Worldpanel Division, adding that the loss of a million users, even if most weren’t paid subscribers, would be a blow to Netflix in terms of word of mouth recommendation for its shows and service. **Read More:** [_A Comprehensive Guide to Every Streaming Service_](https://time.com/6258245/streaming-service-guide/) Subscription cancellations in the first quarter tripled compared to the previous period, according to Kantar’s research. Of all remaining Netflix subscribers in Spain, one-tenth said they planned to unsubscribe in the second quarter. A similar fee was introduced in Portugal, Canada and New Zealand after a [roll-out in several Latin American countries](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-03/how-netflix-plans-to-stop-password-sharing-around-the-world). “We see a cancel reaction in each market when we announce the news,” Netflix said in its first quarter [earnings release](https://s22.q4cdn.com/959853165/files/doc%5Ffinancials/2023/q1/Final-Q1-23-Shareholder-Letter.pdf) on April 18, expecting the dip to be momentary before users that didn’t pay start signing up for their own accounts. “In Canada, which we believe is a reliable predictor for the US, our paid membership base is now larger than prior to the launch of paid sharing and revenue growth has accelerated and is now growing faster than in the US,” Netflix said. Globally, more than 100 million people use an account they don’t pay for, according to Netflix. The company doesn’t break this figure down by country. The company says it detects password sharing by monitoring IP addresses, device identifications and account activity to determine whether a customer is signed on from their primary residence. Last week Netflix [missed expectations](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-18/netflix-gets-off-to-another-slow-start-with-disappointing-growth) for new subscribers in the first quarter, but the company said that the password-policing plan and a cheaper streaming version with ads will accelerate growth in the second half of 2023. Netflix’s investment in Spanish language content seems to be paying off. In the first three months of 2023, two of the five most watched series in Spain were available to stream on Netflix, according to Kantar. The company opened its first European production hub in Madrid in 2019, a facility that had doubled in size by the end of last year. ## Transcript There are some changes going on at Netflix right now among them is a possible password, Crackdown, and I do want to take a very brief moment. I do want to pull the audience very briefly, you can be a hundred percent honest. No cameras here. There's a nobody's going to come after you for this who shares a password with somebody outside of their household. That's it. That's why I try the password issues by the, by the concerned about you and passwords so many of you, I'm sure he read or watch the earnings call. And I think what's great about Netflix's that we have a lot of members around the world to love it, and watch it. They loved it so much that they share it and so we have a lot of people who are watching content from all over the world rides are we still spend 17 billion dollars on content and those craters and everybody making ultimately like you want people to see her to pay for watching all of that crate of Tylenol the crate of time that goes into it. So it's just been one of those that covid. Many people signed up during pandemic. There was more people signed up for Netflix and I think just looking at moving forward, is it? You know what what do you sort of look at to really make sure that we want people to love it and watch it and have access to it and how do we sort of ensure that Italy is long term that people are paying for it? Which looks in different ways, there's different plans and there's different models and a way to certain people to pay for it. So I think ultimately I think people know they're not supposed to shoot like I'm rich, but I love being able to do, you know. But, you know, I still think I think it's I don't think anyone is like a holding Netflix in the fires. Like yeah, we should pay these are artists actors. Crafts people who need to be paid for it though. I, I get it. I'm sad about it. 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