Starting from November 1, Disney+ will implement new restrictions on account sharing for its Canadian users. Subscribers outside their households will no longer be able to access the streaming service unless they are willing to pay extra fees. The update follows the footsteps of Netflix, which introduced a similar crackdown on password sharing in May. Disney+ sent out an email to its subscribers notifying them of the change, as previously foreshadowed by Disney CEO Bob Iger. The company plans to introduce new fee options for users who want to include outside members in their accounts, with details yet to be released.
In the updated Subscriber Agreement, Disney specifies that a household is defined as “the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence” and used by the residents. The upcoming rule will apply to everyone unless exceptions are permitted by the user’s service tier. This move implies that new charges will be incurred for adding outside members, where Netflix has set a precedent with its $8 per extra person charge per month. While it is uncertain how Disney+ will enforce the ban on mobile devices, it is noteworthy that Iger had initially targeted 2024 to tackle the issue of account sharing. Consequently, the introduction of these restrictions in Canada ahead of schedule suggests the challenge may take longer than expected to address.
From November 1, Disney+ users in Canada and parts of Europe will also gain access to a more affordable ad-supported tier, which has been available in the US since 2022. However, for those who are about to lose access to their parents’ Disney+ account due to the new sharing restrictions, this development may provide little solace. It remains to be seen when the company will expand these changes to other regions and how they will handle the enforcement of the restrictions on mobile devices.