Disney+ to start a password sharing crackdown soon, is your country affected?

The streaming service looks set to follow in the footsteps of Netflix in the coming weeks

Streaming apps on an iPhone
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)

When it comes to the best streaming services on the market, there are several options for users to consider. Long time favourites like Netflix still enjoy a lot of popularity, but that hasn't stopped other services from growing substantially.

One of those services is Disney Plus. That has grown substantially in recent years, offering a host of top content spanning genres and decades. There certainly is something for everyone on the service.

Now, though, Disney are looking set to follow in the footsteps of Netflix with a password sharing crackdown of their own. Netflix employed that tactic earlier this year, making it impossible for users in different households to make use of the same Netflix account.

Their decision was met with a degree of scepticism, with the brand seeming to backtrack on previous commentary which celebrated the sharing of a password. However, they persevered, and it doesn't appear to have made too much of a dent.

Disney, clearly, have seen the precedent set by Netflix and fancy a bit of that for themselves. Fundamentally, the implementation sounds much the same as how Netflix did things. Usage based on a single account will be locked to a household, or the devices of users from that household.

Interestingly, Disney does add a caveat. They say that the new rule will apply to everyone “unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier.” That's an interesting wording, suggesting that certain subscription plans may get away with more than others. 

So, are you about to be affected by the change? Well maybe. The crackdown starts on November 1st, with users in Canada the first to be affected. However, the plan is likely to roll out into other markets too, with 2024 expected to be the year for it to move into other markets.

So while you may get away with it for now, the end, it seems, is nigh. We'll be sure to keep an eye out for further developments and update you with more information here on T3 as it comes out.

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Sam Cross
Senior Staff Writer

Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.