It’s no secret that ever since Netflix announced a crackdown on password sharing, people have been unwelcoming of this decision as it forces them to pay for family members or friends who do not live in the same household. Now, just days after implementing its password-sharing ban, many Netflix users have taken to social media to express their frustrations, leading to a surge in cancellations and the emergence of the trending hashtag #CancelNetflix on platforms like Twitter.
This shift in policy represents a significant departure from Netflix’s previous strategy in 2017 when it tweeted in support of password sharing, stating that “Love is sharing a password.” And although it’s unclear whether the company anticipated such a backlash, the password-sharing ban is just one of the reasons behind the wave of cancellations. These reasons include the subpar quality of Netflix’s original content, such as the new Cleopatra documentary, and the cancellations of many fan-favorite series.
As a result, frustrated users took to Twitter to express their disappointments, with one long-term subscriber named “Ben” publicly announcing his departure from the service and another user, gfgm223, declaring their decision to move on after 11 years of paying for a subscription.
“I cancelled my Netflix membership so fast. It’s the principle. They already charge us to share our accounts, that’s how it went from $8 to $15. Like no, you’re not charging me to tell me who I’m allowed to share my password with,” said Twitter user T_Nitchelle.
Netflix still expects revenue growth
While the severe backlash on social media platforms is concerning, the company remains optimistic about its revenue growth prospects. As, during a recent earnings conference, Netflix acknowledged that there would be cancellations, but they believe that overall, this crackdown on password sharing will be beneficial for the platform.
“This is an important transition for us, and so we’re working hard to make sure that we do it well and as thoughtfully as we can,” said Gregory Peters, co-CEO and director of Netflix.
However, convincing existing subscribers to pay more for adding an account will entirely depend on Netflix’s ability to produce good content, an area that has been on a downfall for some time.