Netflix has announced that it is to start trialling charging users for sharing accounts with people outside their household.
It seems like the days of sharing Netflix passwords could soon be over.
The streaming service revealed yesterday that it’s launching a trial in which primary account holders will need to pay for users who are outside of their household, and it will mean that, on top of the monthly subscription fee, there will be an additional charge for the use of accounts by people who don’t live together.
Starting in the next few weeks, the scheme will be trailed in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, and features will include ‘add an extra member’, where account holders can ‘sub’ up to two people outside of their households.
Another one of the new features is ‘Transfer Profile to a New Account’, which aims to encourage those sharing someone else’s login to set up their own account, while still staying in control of specific info such as My List, viewing history, and personalised recommendation.
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It’s unclear at this point whether these features will be rolled-out to other countries.
Netflix is trialling charging users for sharing accounts with people outside their household / Credit: Unsplash ( David Balev | Charles Deluvio)
Explaining a little more about the trial, Chengyi Long – Director of Product Innovation at Netflix – says the streaming service has “always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account” by allowing people to create separate profiles on a single subscription.
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But now, accounts being shared between households are said to be “impacting [Netflix’s] ability to invest in great new TV and films for members.”
The end of Netflix password sharing looks to be another shift in the company’s strategy that suggests it is looking toward its existing customers, rather than new subscribers, in order to help grow revenue, and it comes after it announced earlier this month that subscription prices for all new and existing members in the UK and Ireland are rising.
The scheme will be trailed in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru over the coming weeks / Credit: Charles Deluvio (via Unsplash)
In the wake of continuous rising inflation post-pandemic, the leading streaming service has confirmed that the basic and standard plans in the UK will both increase by £1 a month to £6.99 and £10.99 respectively, while the premium tier will go up by £2 to £15.99.
Existing subscribers will be notified by email 30 days before the change comes into effect, depending on their specific billing cycle.
The increase is immediate for new members.
Featured Image – Netflix
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Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Emily Sergeant -
18th March 2022 
