The streaming wars got interesting when Netflix decided to crack down on password-sharing amongst its users. The streaming service has warned against password-sharing for a while, and felt it was losing revenue due to the common practice. Therefore, Netflix implemented measures to try to encourage subscribers to purchase their own subscriptions. This was incredibly controversial, upsetting many subscribers, and led to many making fun of the streaming service’s decision. Now, streaming competitor Amazon is getting in on the fun, and they may have just won.
Amazon apparently has no problem with password sharing when it comes to multiple people using the same Amazon Prime account. The company recently posted from their official Twitter account, announcing that anyone with an Amazon password is welcome to use the same Prime account. You can see the very funny tweet below:
https://t.co/dHgkuwiuHB pic.twitter.com/PkFhbOoWNdMay 25, 2023
The tweet also specifically calls out Netflix, as it directly responds to a tweet from 2017. Clearly, Netflix no longer feels the same way and has certainly backtracked on its perspective from 6 years ago. In an effort to crack down on password sharing, the platform limited the number of screens a user is allowed to be logged in on within an account. This angered many users who pointed out this specifically hurts paid users who frequently travel, and log into their account in different locations. Netflix started to enforce these regulations this week and seems determined to leave these provisions in place despite controversy.
While this is probably just a cheeky social media comment by Amazon and an easy way to take a jab at a competitor, this may also be confirmation that the streaming company doesn’t have plans to follow Netflix’s lead. Many thought these regulations by the OG streamer would create a domino effect amongst competitors, but none of the other streaming services have made the same decision. Amazon’s primary business isn’t their streaming service, so maybe they don’t see the sharing of an Amazon account to have a significant effect on their business.
Netflix initially tested the provision in international markets and ultimately saw subscriber growth as a result, despite initially experiencing mass cancellations. While Amazon, and other streamers, are making jokes now, if this ends up contributing to significant growth for Netflix, they may end up making the same decision. The lasting power of streaming services has been debated for years, and if this becomes a pattern, users may not be able to commit to streaming content in the near future, canceling subscriptions altogether.
We will continue following the fallout from this major move by Netflix, and if this results in growth in the American marketplace. People who still want to subscribe to the service can check out our feature on how to subscribe to Netflix. Also make sure to consult our guide to some of the most popular titles trending on the service.
