News

Netflix Is Testing A Way To Stop Its Users From Sharing Their Passwords

Published

5 years ago

March 15, 2021

netflix is testing a way to stop its users from sharing their passwords

It seems that Netflix is no longer fine with users sharing their passwords with other people because the popular video streaming service is testing a new account ownership verification prompt.

“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so,” said Netflix spokesperson Ebony Turner. Users who see the prompt are asked to verify account ownership by a code, sent via email or text. At the time of writing, the test seems to be rolled out more or less randomly, but that could quickly change in the future.

Netflix, which now has more than 200 million subscribers around the world, said that users who are unable to verify account ownership wouldn’t be able to continue using the service unless they purchase their own subscription.

While this measure is unlikely to stop password sharing among friends and extended family members, who can simply share the required authorization code, but it may at least slow down password sharing on various online forums and dark web sites.

The decision to crack down on password sharing is likely a reaction to the growing competition Netflix is facing, with streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Hulu offering their own original TV shows and movies.

Also Read: Netflix Is Introducing Sleep Timer Functionality On Android

Back in 2016, Netflix co-founder and chief executive Reed Hasting said that password sharing was something Netflix had to learn to live with because the amount of legitimate password sharing between family members was too high. Even in 2019, chief product officer Greg Peters stated that the streaming service had no plans to change its stance on password sharing.

Right now, Netflix’s terms of service state that the service is intended “for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.” It’s not really clear whether Netflix means a physical household, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see the company clarify its terms of service if the new account ownership verification prompt becomes a standard feature.

News

Instagram Redraws Its Wordmark And The Internet Reads “Instagzam”

Instagram’s first wordmark refresh in a decade arrives with new fonts, a restrained gradient — and a Reddit verdict of sidegrade.

Published

4 days ago

August 14, 2026

Nour Nasir

Instagram

Although Instagram’s famous camera icon hasn’t changed, the company has refreshed the handwritten wordmark at the top of its app. This is the first redesign we’ve seen in ten years, and one the internet promptly set about renaming.

“The wordmark at the top of the app hasn’t changed in 10 years, so it was time for a refresh,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri wrote in a post on August 13, describing the new version as “cleaner and more modern” while keeping references to the original design.

Instagram says its team explored hundreds of options — all-caps lettering, camera-inspired concepts, even literal handwriting — before returning to script. “Script reflects individuality, so referencing that felt right,” Instagram director of product design Jasmine Probst said in Meta’s announcement. “The new wordmark is bolder and simpler, with touches of unexpectedness. It cues individual expression, a personal voice, both of which have always been core to Instagram”.

The wordmark is part of a broader brand overhaul: an updated Instagram Sans typeface, two new fonts — the hand-drawn Instagram Pen and Instagram Mono — plus refreshed motion and layouts, and more restrained use of the signature gradient. The wordmark is rolling out globally now, with the rest arriving throughout 2026 and beyond.

Also Read: Spotify Will Now Tell You If Your Favorite Artist Isn’t Real

The design mixes cursive and print lettering, some characters connected and others floating free. That hybrid approach, combined with unusually shaped “s” and “r” characters, led some users to conclude the logo actually reads “Instagzam”. On the r/logodesign subreddit, one user said the wordmark looked “fan-made,” like something built in Canva; another called it “an unsettling mix of manuscript and cursive”; a third summarized it as a “sidegrade” — or, inevitably, a “zidegrade”.

Not everyone was hostile to the new look. Some found the half-cursive design stylish and surprisingly readable, while others called it an improvement on its predecessor, and one commenter argued Instagram was simply adopting minimalist branding later than everyone else. Either way, the platform now has a refreshed identity, three updated fonts, and an unofficial new pronunciation.