Disney+ is increasing prices and cracking down on sharing passwords

Disney is following in Netflix's footsteps and cracking down on password sharing by advising subscribers that people outside their household must log in and purchase their own subscriptions.

Disney+ this week began offering users various ways to pay for access to its streaming service on behalf of family members or friends who do not live in the same home but whose accounts have been used without authorization.

“Your Disney+ subscription is for use in your household. “This is a collection of devices that are connected to your primary residence and used by the people who live there,” the Hollywood company said in a statement to its customers. Those who live elsewhere “will need to sign up and pay for their own subscription or be added as an additional member to your account for an additional fee.”

Users who are away from home or have moved can continue to access the service by logging in with a one-time passcode sent to the email address associated with the account.

Disney+'s paid sharing features and features launched in some markets over the summer and are available in the US, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe and Asia Pacific.

According to the company, an additional domestic member profile costs an additional $6.99 per month for basic Disney+ subscriptions and $9.99 per month for premium subscriptions. Disney only allowed one additional member for each primary account. The additional member option is not available to Disney Bundle subscribers or those billed through third-party providers. Disney+ account holders can transfer an eligible profile to a new subscription or additional member to maintain that profile's Disney+ watch history and settings.

Disney's expanded paid sharing options are just ahead of the increased US prices, which are set to take effect on October 17th. Disney+ Basic with ads will increase from $7.99 per month to $9.99, while Disney+ Premium without ads will also increase by two dollars to $15.99 per month. Disney is also increasing the cost of Hulu, ESPN+ and its multiservice packages.

The company also plans to crack down on password sharing for Hulu and ESPN. Both services warned U.S. subscribers earlier this year not to share their login information with anyone outside of their place of residence.

Last year, Netflix sent its fan base into uproar when it announced it would no longer allow users share their passwords Broadly speaking, this was a departure from the previous stance of encouraging password sharing to attract more viewers.