Faisal Ghaffar 
It is not uncommon for people who do not live in the same residence to share the password for their online streaming services like Netflix in the UK. The practice goes against the terms of service agreements, making it illegal.
According to the Intellectual Property Office or IPO, sharing passwords for online streaming services, such as Netflix, is a practice of breaking copyright law and illegal activity. Netflix never showed intentions of taking legal action in such cases.
The Intellectual Property Office has since removed guidelines on password-sharing from its governmental website. But, a representative verified that the legality and the IPO’s guidance on the matter have not changed. It said password sharing for online streaming services, including Netflix is a civil and criminal matter in the UK.
The IPO said an array of provisions in civil and criminal law is applicable if someone shares the password for an online streaming service, indenting to allow other users to benefit from copyright-protected services for free.
Depending on the circumstances, these provisions include breach of secondary copyright infringement, contractual terms, or fraud. Since civil law mentions these provisions, the service provider should take legal action if necessary.
Despite the present law, no evidence suggesting any leading streaming service providers take action in the UK has come to notice. According to Netflix, it wanted to make it easier for users to borrow others’ service accounts to set up one for them or to transfer their previous profile to a new one. The service provider also showed leniency if anyone created a sub-account for them and paid extra for their family members or friends.
Netflix said the service would roll out these features more broadly next year, preferably in the early months of 2023. Amazon and Disney did not respond to the media’s request for comment.
Level of the Problem
Digital I research firm estimated around four million accounts, making a quarter of Netflix subscribers, were sharing their service passwords in 2022. In December, Nadine Dorries, the Culture Secretary, revealed she was among the Netflix users who would share their passwords with others.
According to Dorries, she has a Netflix account, which she shares with four other people living in different parts of the UK. She said her mother and children accessed her account.
When the country had a growing Netflix service, a tweet containing a joke from the streaming service appeared online. It was about sharing passwords of online streaming services between family and friends.
Since Netflix’s growth has stalled, it has been trying to crack down on the illegal practice worldwide, though it has never come with legal action taken. Instead, Netflix has introduced new prices to make the online streaming service more appealing.
legal Action for Sharing Passwords
The IPO also responded to the criminal law in its statement, suggesting that online streaming service subscribers could supposedly go under a court trial from the Crown Prosecution Service for their illegal act of password sharing. A representative spoke to the media, revealing it would take legal action against someone for sharing a streaming service’s password on a case-to-case basis. It would also consider the individual context and relevant facts in each case.
