Disney+ streaming service cracks down on Australians sharing accounts, members lockout, extra fees added

Disney’s controversial crackdown on streaming service account sharing has landed in Australia as new fees and plans force users to restructure their Disney+ accounts.

New and existing customers will be forced to pay an extra $7.99 to share their account with users outside their registered household, as the changes begin to take hold following the October 1 implementation date.

The changes have been gradually taking hold throughout the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Europe.

Big streaming services have been working to safeguard their account access to combat multiple users from one account with Netflix introducing its password-sharing changes in 2023.

Adding an extra member to a Disney+ account will now $7.99 per month in Australia with only one extra member slot is available per Disney+ account.

The Disney+ services were “meant to be used within your household, which is a collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside there,” a Disney statement said.

Australian subscribers will be informed of the changes over time, with Disney confirming people who subscribed through a third-party (such as Apple or Hubbl) or used a Disney Bundle were not able to add extra members at this time.

Extra member charges would be billed monthly to the account holder, even if their Disney+ subscription was an annual one, the company said.

The changes have been met with disappointment from ‘streamers’ around the world with varying changes to the cost of extra accounts.

As the feature rolls out in Australia, “owners of Disney+ accounts can invite extra members from outside their household by choosing the Extra Member option in their account settings”, Disney said.

“The Extra Member must be at least 18 years old, reside in the same country where the Disney+ subscription was created, and cannot have an active or cancelled Disney+ subscription,” the company said.

Disney chief executive Bob Iger told CNBC that the change was part of the company’s goal of reaching profitability for Disney+, after previously reporting losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars and one that was in line with the Netflix model.

“(Netflix is) the gold standard in streaming. If we can only accomplish what they have accomplished, that would be great,” Mr Iger said.