India Today Is Encouraging Users To Cheat Netflix By Sharing Their Accounts: Is This Ethical?

By Mohul Ghosh Last updated Jul 26, 2019

India Today is encouraging users to share their accounts

Personally, and professionally, I strongly believe that what India Today has done here is very wrong. Ethically and morally wrong, and it shouldn’t be encouraged.

This is what happened..

India Today: Share Your Netflix Account With Friend!!

Yesterday at 10AM, India Today posted a blog on Netflix, with the title: “Netflix launches cheap Rs 199 plan for Indians but Rs 799 plan still better if you have good friends”

If you read this post, then you will find that the author is comparing Netflix’s Rs 199 plan with their highest, and most premium plan which costs Rs 799.

And the conclusion is that instead of paying Rs 199 for accessing Netflix on a single mobile phone without HD quality content, it is better to take a Rs 799 plan, and share it among 4 ‘good friends’, and the cost would be same for each: Rs 199.

Logically, this makes sense as well.

After all, with the same expense of Rs 199, a person is able to access pure HD level content, and continue their friendship as well.

A win-win.

But alas, it is a loss-loss for the company called Netflix, and it is cheating, if not illegal.

Netflix Policy: You Cannot Share Your Account

Officially, and legally, sharing of a single Netflix account is not allowed, beyond a ‘household’.

This means, that if you have opted for the premium plan which allows Netflix to be live on 4-screens at a time, then those 4 screens have to be within your household: Maybe your sister, brother, mom and dad.

But Netflix never allows sharing of passwords and accounts with other people, and your friends. And God forbid, there are people selling their Netflix accounts to other random strangers as well, which is completely illegal.

This is what Netflix’s Terms of Usage policy say:

“4.2. The Netflix service and any content viewed through the service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household. During your Netflix membership we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access the Netflix service and view Netflix content. Except for the foregoing, no right, title or interest shall be transferred to you. You agree not to use the service for public performances.”

Focus on the words: During your Netflix membership we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access the Netflix service and view Netflix content.

But unfortunately, India Today is asking their readers to do the exact opposite here.

Cheating Netflix: How Ethical Is That?

Netflix is a business, and they make their money by selling subscriptions for accessing their high quality content.

If everyone starts ‘sharing’ and ‘selling’ their passwords, then how will this business survive?

India Today should be more responsible about what they ask their readers to do, and asking them to share their accounts to save money is not done.

This ain’t fair.