How 5 major streaming services are cracking down (or not) on password sharing, from Netflix to Hulu

Streaming services are struggling to navigate password sharing.grinvalds/Getty Images

• Netflix will start charging for password sharing by the end of March, according to the company.
• Other services like HBO Max have traditionally struck a different tone on sharing.

While Netflix prepares to end free password sharing, other streaming companies have avoided taking a hard stance on the matter.

The company is making good on its promise to stop users from accessing the service without paying for their own account, announcing Wednesday it will soon roll out a paid-sharing model. Netflix has already rolled out a similar program in some South American countries, allowing users to pay $2 or $3 dollars to add a member to their accounts.

Notably, password sharing is against the terms of service of virtually every streaming service, and a federal court ruling in 2016 upheld a conviction of password theft under a 1980s anti-hacking law. Still, services like HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Hulu each have their own methods for preventing — or allowing — users to share their accounts.

Here's a look at the current state of password streaming among the major streamers.