Hulu to Crack Down on Password Sharing — Find Out When It Starts

If you’re currently using someone else’s Hulu account, consider yourself warned: The clock is ticking.

Hulu is cracking down on password sharing, according to an email sent to subscribers on Wednesday. The streamer has updated its subscriber agreement, and among the changes, the email notes: “We’re adding limitations on sharing your account outside of your household, and explaining how we may assess your compliance with these limitations.”

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A closer look at the new subscriber agreement reveals that Hulu subscribers “may not share [their] subscription outside of [their] household” unless their subscription tier specifically allows for that. A subscriber’s “household” is defined as “the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein.” If Hulu determines that passwords are being shared, the streamer “may limit or terminate access to the Service.”

Hulu’s new subscriber agreement, with the new password sharing ban, takes effect for current subscribers on Mar. 14, and takes effect immediately for all new subscribers. The news comes less than a year after Netflix began charging subscribers an additional fee for sharing their account with someone outside the home. Netflix later credited the crackdown with boosting its number of paid subscribers in its third-quarter earnings report.

Are you currently sharing a Hulu account with a friend or family member? Let us know in the comments if this news will get you to sign up full-time.

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