Disney+ Cracks Down on Account Sharing with New Paid Sharing Program

Disney+ has introduced a new "Paid Sharing" initiative in several regions, including the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe, as part of its efforts to curb account sharing and increase revenue. The program, similar to Netflix’s, limits account usage to people within a single household. According to Disney+, a household is defined as devices linked to the primary residence of the account holder and used by those living there.

For those wanting to share their account with someone outside the household, Disney+ now offers an "Extra Member" option. This feature allows account holders to add an additional user for an extra monthly fee—$6.99 for Disney+ Basic and $9.99 for Disney+ Premium in the US. UK pricing is set at £3.99, £4.99, and £4.99 for Standard with Ads, Standard, and Premium plans, respectively. However, this option has certain restrictions: only one extra member can be added, they must be 18 or older, and they can only stream on one device at a time.

For frequent travelers, Disney+ ensures account access on the go, allowing users to verify their identity through a one-time passcode sent to their email in case of access issues.

Disney+ also offers users the ability to transfer profiles to new accounts. This means that if someone decides to create their own subscription, they can carry over their watch history and preferences. The changes come after Netflix implemented similar policies in 2023, which resulted in increased subscriber numbers. Disney hopes to replicate this success. The password-sharing restrictions are expected to be fully implemented across the US, Canada, Europe, and other regions by the end of the month.