Update (6/4/2023) – HA
After receiving Procon-SP notifications e do Procon-PR, it was the turn of the institution from Rio de Janeiro to notify Netflix after the platform announced that it will charge an additional amount for sharing passwords between people. The notice comes after complaints made by consumers themselves, saying that their rights were being violated.
“The company did not make it clear how the collection will be carried out and who will be affected. Unilateral modification of the contract is not permitted by the Consumer Protection Code. We are attentive to curb any abusive practice”, says in a note Cássio Coelho, president of Procon-RJ.
Netflix will need to explain the additional charge and show that customers have agreed to the contract change. The notification also compares an advertisement served by the company informs the possibility of the consumer to watch the content wherever he wants, something that may be contrary to the new charge.
The company has 10 days to present the clarifications and, if there has been a violation of the Consumer Defense Code, an administrative proceeding will be initiated.
Update (05/28/2023) – by PF
This Friday (26), the Procon of the state of Paraná was one of those who joined the queue of notifications issued to Netflix for the additional charge for sharing passwords. Previously, Procon-SP had also filed a notification.
Netflix announced last Tuesday (23) the start of charging an extra fee for sharing accounts in Brazil. The ad sparked revolt on social media and jokes from the competition.
According to Procon, the measure may violate the Consumer Protection Code. According to the agency, if the service can be accessed from mobile devices, the company could not limit access only to the residence.
“The company’s advertising material, which is even available on its website, contains phrases such as “watch wherever you want”, which misleads the consumer, as he imagines that the profiles can be used anywhere”, said Claudia Silvano , coordinator of Procon-PR in an interview with G1.
The platform has a period of 20 days to provide information to Procon.
Original text (05/25/2023)
The Procon of the state of São Paulo should ask Netflix for clarification after the company started charging for sharing passwords on its streaming service.
In addition, the agency has also guided consumers who have already received notification of the change to formally file a complaint.
The objective is to understand what, in fact, Netflix is advertising to its subscribers; if, effectively, the company is adopting a new billing criterion and how this possible new access system will work, in addition to other related information, so that it is possible to analyze, based on concrete data, possible violations of the Consumer Defense Code.
Rodrigo Tritapepe, director of Service and Guidance at Procon-SP, said that some “steps” are needed to verify the situation of Netflix:
Only with proof of changes and formalization of complaints will it be possible to assess whether the new form of charging for access or the technology used for control has legal support in the Consumer Defense Code.
It should be remembered that Netflix announced last Tuesday that it will charge an additional R$12.90 per month for Brazilian users who share platform passwords with people from other households. This ended up generating a series of complaints on social networks, something that triggered Procon’s action.
For now, Netflix has not commented on the matter, but the company has launched an ad-supported and more accessible plan in an attempt to circumvent a certain stampede of users.
