Disney+ and Hulu have announced a new policy that will ban password sharing on their streaming services. The policy change, which takes effect on March 14, has sparked a wave of reactions from users, many of whom are voicing their frustrations on social media platforms like TikTok.
In a now viral TikTok video, user @theofficialangelt expressed his thoughts on the matter, stating, “Disney Plus and Hulu have banned password sharing in their new user agreement.These streaming services are really so f*cking greedy, oh my god. It’s getting bad out here.” The video, posted on Feb. 1, has since accumulated over 859,200 views.
The TikToker pointed out that the platforms are following in the footsteps of Netflix, which implemented a similar policy last year and saw a significant increase in subscribers. He said, “And the fact that they have seen that Netflix has actually gained subscribers rather than losing them. So they’re just thinking that they’re also going to have the same like outcome.”
According to a Forbes article, “Netflix announced it had added 9 million new subscribers globally following its crackdown on password sharing starting in the U.S. at the end of May. Netflix reported revenue of $8.5 billion for the third quarter of 2023—up 8% compared with 2022 and beating expectations due to the sheer number of new members.”
@theofficialangelt Hulu & Disney Plus Cutting down on password sharing! 😩 #hulu #disneyplus #theofficialangelt #passwordsharing ♬ original sound – ANGEL T
However, not all users are taking the news lightly. Some have expressed their intentions to cancel their subscriptions in response to the announced policy changes.
One user commented, “I cut Netflix and never look back! I guess I’ll [cut] these two in March.”
Another user claimed they’re considering a return to physical media. They wrote, “I’m just getting a blue ray dvd player for my birthday and restock all my movies and go back to the way it was.”
The crackdown on password sharing has also reignited discussions about the rising costs of streaming services. “Why do you keep raising prices? At this point, you’re adding up to what cable used to be, the f*ck? I thought y’all was supposed to be cheaper than cable,” @theofficialangelt noted in the video.
“They’re stopping the sharing but uping the prices for services that has more ads and less enjoyable shows,” another user remarked.
The Daily Dot reached out to @theofficialangelt via email and to Disney via press email for comment.