Streaming: Netflix Tests Password Crackdown, Disney+ Adds Parental Controls
Marvel’s edgier properties come to Disney+ with the addition of Parental Controls. Plus, Netflix may be cracking down on account sharing.
With raises in pricing, theatrical vs. streaming release, and password sharing, streaming platforms are still a little like the Wild West when it comes to entertainment. Netflix, the mother of all streaming apps, is taking experimental steps to tame the rampant use of password sharing. Meanwhile, Disney+ adds parental controls to its service in order to finally unite the Defenders Saga with the rest of its MCU content.
Is Netflix Cracking Down on Password Sharing?
Variety has reported that Netflix is testing a feature that will charge extra per month for each out-of-household account you host. Under this testing system, primary account holders can pay an additional fee for up to 2 users outside their households. The terms of service have always forbidden password sharing. But as the streaming service’s cost continues to go up, it’s hard to resist the temptation to cut costs by sharing.
Last year, Netflix ran a limited test prompting users to enter their login info with the goal of lighting a fire under those using other people’s passwords. And in the next 2-3 weeks, Netflix will launch testing in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru that implement the additional fee structure. No news yet of they intend to test or implement the program in other countries.
In Costa Rica, the price for adding an extra member is $2.99/month. The streaming service is also testing a function that lets subscribers transfer profiles to new accounts, hoping that this will encourage additional members to get their own subscriptions. So if you’ve been sharing a Netflix account with your ex because you don’t want to lose your view-library, you may be able to cut that cord soon.
The Defenders Saga
In other streaming news, as previously promised, the Marvel Netflix universe has come to Disney+. They’ve titled these shows The Defenders Saga, and it’s now available for uncensored streaming on Disney+. This includes Daredevil seasons 1-3, Jessica Jones seasons 1-3, Luke Cage seasons 1 & 2, Iron Fist seasons 1 & 2, Punisher seasons 1 & 2, and The Defenders season 1. To keep kids from accessing inappropriate content, Disney has added a “parental controls” feature.
Disney+ Adds Parental Controls
Parental controls include PIN authentification by the primary profile user. Your next login to the app will prompt you to update your settings and control who can see what. Still, conservative parent groups are warning that TV-MA will ruin Disney’s family-friendly brand. According to President of the Parents’ Television and Media Council Tim Winter:
The company’s eponymous platform Disney+ logically marketed itself as a family-friendly streaming service, and parents have placed their trust in Disney to deliver just that. It seems wildly ‘off-brand’ for Disney+ to add TV-MA and R-rated programming to this platform, ostensibly to increase subscription revenue. So what comes next, adding live striptease performances in Fantasyland at Disney World?”
Either this man is being a drama queen, or my dream of seeing a Marvel movie that frames strippers and sex workers in a positive, powerful light isn’t actually as far off as I thought.
Oddly enough, these groups appear to have no stance on Disney’s support of politicians pushing Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Disney employees, many of whom create the progressive content for the company, are staging walk-outs in protest. The bill will undoubtedly endanger the safety of K-3rd grade LGBTQ+ families in the public school system.
It’s a classic case of “save the children”, but not the children who are the most marginalized and vulnerable. Just, you know, the ones who might hack their parents’ parental controls and see superheroes do sex and violence.
How to Work Parental Controls on Disney+
Speaking of the parental controls, they’re super easy to navigate – you can do so by installing PIN protection! The next time you log in to Disney+, you’ll likely be prompted to “access parental controls”.
Every profile’s default setting is TV-14: this is essentially Disney’s catalog without any of the Defenders shows. To allow for TV-MA content, you can choose the “Full Catalogue”. If you prefer a profile stay in its family-friendly setting, you can select “Not Now” and that profile will stay the same. The process will also give you the option to set a profile pin. This means that no one can change the content settings without your 4-digit code.
Did you accidentally blow past the prompting screen? No problem! Go to your settings and edit profiles. Select the profile with the content settings you’d like to change. Scroll down and select “Content Rating”. Then choose the option that’s best for that profile.
