A British technology firm has unveiled new AI software that could lead to a crackdown on users who share their Netflix password with family and friends.
Synamedia, which recently received an investment from Sky, showcased the new tech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
"The new security software combats the rapid rise in account sharing between friends and families, turning it instead into a new revenue-generating opportunity for operators," the company said.
The software uses AI, machine learning and behavioural analytics to identify, monitor and analyse how users share their login credentials.
Advert
This, in turn, would allow streaming companies like Netflix to contact users to suggest they upgrade their accounts and, in extreme cases, could even lead to accounts being terminated.
Synamedia's program would also give Netflix data on where the account is being accessed from, what time it is used, what content is being watched and by what device.
"A typical pattern would be you have a subscriber that is simultaneously watching content on the East Coast and West Coast of the US," Synamedia's CTO, Jean-Marc Racine, told The Verge.
"That's unlikely to be the same person."
Netflix has yet to confirm they'll be taking up the new service but if it proves successful, it could be rolled out to other streaming services.
But not everyone is behind this push for greater password security. The internet consumer protection group Electronic Frontier Foundation has pushed for laws to protect password sharing.
"We need a law that recognizes that we often access someone else's computer-specifically, our Internet service providers' servers-when we pull data from the cloud, check our Gmail or Facebook account, book a plane ticket, or watch a movie on Netflix-and that we often share with friends or loved ones our passwords for these very accounts," the group has said.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash