Disney Plus announces crackdown on password sharing in Canada

Password-sharing crackdowns are becoming more common and Disney Plus is following suit.

Password-sharing crackdowns are becoming more and more common in the streaming world today. And Disney Plus is following suit.

In an email sent to the users in Canada earlier this week, Disney announced restrictions on Canadian subscribers' “ability to share your account or login credentials outside of your household.”

Disney Plus’ updated Canadian Subscriber Agreement to say users cannot share a subscription outside their household unless permitted by their account tier — noting that violations could lead to Disney Plus limiting or terminating service. “Household” covers the collection of devices associated with a subscriber’s primary residence and used by the individuals who live there, per the streamer's help centre.

These password-sharing restrictions are part of multiple updates to Disney Plus' Subscriber Agreement set to go into effect for most Canadian users November 1. Annual subscribers in Quebec could see the changes a bit later, depending on their billing cycle — and users who switch their plan prior to November 1 will see the updates apply immediately, this week's email said.

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As previously announced in August, November 1 is also the date that Disney Plus will roll out ad-supported tier offerings both in Canada and select European markets. Disney Plus’ ad tier has already been in the U.S. since December 2022.

It's unclear when or if similar household restrictions could be seen beyond Canada. When contacted by The Associated Press, a spokesperson for Disney Plus did not share additional details.