Prime Video takes cheeky swipe at Netflix password crackdown

Amazon Prime Video on Apple TV
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If you subscribe to Netflix, you can't have missed the current password drama: Netflix is no longer happy with you sharing your password with people you don't live with, and you're going to have to start getting separate accounts.

You know who doesn't mind you sharing your streaming service passwords though? Amazon, which has told Prime Video subscribers that they're welcome to share passwords — and has also taken a cheeky swipe at Netflix in the process.

Six years ago, the Netflix Twitter account tweeted "Love is sharing a password", a sentiment which now seems very ironic with recent changes. In a quote response to this tweet, Prime Video shared an image of its login account selection screen, and under the heading "Who's watching?" the account names read "Everyone Who Has Our Account".

The writing is on the wall: you can continue to send your Amazon Prime password to your friends and family, no matter whether or not you live with them, and enjoy all the shows and movies on the platform like Air, Citadel, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

The Netflix password-sharing crackdown is something the streamer has been tiptoeing around for a while now, but on Tuesday, May 23 it began emailing subscribers to lay down the law: "Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live with — your household" it reads. 

The email goes on to say that if you share your Netflix account with people you don't live with, they'll have to pay extra on your current account for an extra member exemption if they don't choose to get their own account.

The days of sharing your Netflix password around a huge and spread-out family are now over, and so your streaming bill might end up getting higher as a result. So while Prime Video doesn't quite have Netflix's library of originals nor its new streaming show output, it may be much more affordable for families.

Tom Bedford
Streaming and Ecommerce Writer

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce writer at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK. His goal is to help you navigate the busy and confusing online video market, to help you find the TV, movies and sports that you're looking for without having to spend too much money.