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Sharing a Netflix password is still piracy – but everyone does it

The answer is actually no, but that doesn’t mean it’s not prevalent. According to a study done by Parks Associates earlier this year, 57 percent of U.S. households access an over-the-top video account — meaning streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Go — but 11 percent of Netflix subscribers, 10 percent of Hulu Plus subscribers and 5 percent of Amazon Prime Instant Video subscribers are using an account paid for by someone else.

Unsurprisingly, young adults between 18-24 are the biggest perpetrators of the password-sharing trend, as 22 percent of those surveyed admitted to using an account that was not theirs.

In a related study, Parks Associates estimates that “illicit password sharing” could cost the industry as much as $500 million per year.

From the article "Sharing a Netflix password is still piracy – but everyone does it" by Lauren Hockenson.

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