Disney Plus is about to turn over a new leaf in Canada, with the streaming service planning to crack down on password sharing starting on November 1.
Spotted first by MobileSyrup, the streaming service sent emails to Canadian subscribers earlier this week, warning users it will begin restricting password sharing. Though the company did not specify how it plans to enforce the policy, it said it would not allow you to share your account with anyone who does not reside in the same household. Canadian users will also have access to a cheaper, albeit ad-supported tier at the same time the new password-sharing guidelines roll out.
"Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household," Disney writes in the new service agreement for account users residing in Canada. "'Household' means the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein."
The news is not entirely surprising. In a Q3 earnings call last month, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced plans to crack down on password sharing, stating the company would begin updating subscriber agreements with additional terms that reflect the new policies on giving your password out to other people.
Disney Plus is the latest streaming service to crack down on password sharing. Netflix tested ways to curb the practice in various countries last year before rolling out the feature in the U.S. earlier this year.
In Netflix's case, restricting who you share your password with has benefitted the streaming giant, as it announced in July it had increased revenue and that new user sign-ups were exceeding its expectations. With Disney already reporting that it has lost billions since the service originally launched back in 2019, the password-sharing crackdown may work out in its favor.
In our 2023 update review of Disney Plus, which we scored an 8 out of 10, we said: "Disney+ is doing a good job at widening its scope with documentaries, programming from its other banners, and, interestingly, concert films, but its ad-free tier has almost doubled in price since 2019."
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
