CNBC reported that Netflix, the world's largest online video service, has decided to charge for the shared accounts of more than 100 million households worldwide.
In a quarterly letter to shareholders, Netflix said it had tolerated account sharing during its subscriber growth period, but said that the situation had changed, with subscribers declining for the first time in 11 years, and that it plans to charge for shared accounts.
Netflix estimates that over 100 million households worldwide share accounts with other paying members, with 30 million households accessing content through account sharing in the US and Canada alone.
Netflix says it has been experimenting with charging additional fees for sharing accounts with people who do not live in the same household, it said.
It also hinted that it could start charging for shared accounts as early as next year.
However, specific billing methods were not explained.
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