What you need to know
- Hulu has notified customers in an email about a subscriber agreement update starting March 14, prohibiting the sharing of Hulu logins with non-household members.
- Only devices associated with the primary personal residence can use the same login, similar to Netflix's policy.
- Hulu will analyze the use of your account and reserves the right to "limit or terminate access" for rule-breakers.
Hulu is preparing to stop users from sharing passwords with those outside their homes, joining the streaming crackdown trend.
Variety reports that Hulu has dropped a heads-up to its customers about a subscriber agreement update kicking in on March 14. The agreement's updated version dated January 25 explicitly says users can't share their Hulu logins with non-household members.
In an email to subscribers on Wednesday, the Disney-owned company also informed subscribers about a tweak in the terms of service, honing in on the sharing of passwords, as caught by a Reddit user (via The Verge).
"We're adding limitations on sharing your account outside of your household, and explaining how we may assess your compliance with these limitations," Hulu stated in the email.
There's no big surprise here. Disney, set to fully take the reins of Hulu this year, is putting the kibosh on password sharing not just for Hulu but also for Disney Plus. The company has already laid down the rules in Canada, and you can bet it's heading to the United States soon.
Disney has also made some changes to the fine print on Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus. The services spell it out in their terms of service: don't try to "impersonate" an account owner, basically meaning, don't use their password.
Hulu's rule is clear: unless your service tier allows it, no sharing your subscription beyond your household, which means "the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein." In simple terms, if they're not under your roof, they can't ride on your subscription, similar to some of your favorite streaming services like Netflix.
On smart TVs, things might get a bit tricky. Netflix ties the household to the account holder's main TV. If Hulu follows suit, watching it on your TV from a different spot might not work unless you connect a separate device to it.
The email and terms of service don't mention how Hulu will check if you're playing by the rules or how fast it'll drop the hammer. What's clear is that the platform will "analyze the use of your account" and "limit or terminate access to the service" if you're caught breaking the rules.
