Max has joined the password-sharing crackdown movement, joining Netflix, Disney Plus, and Hulu as the best streaming services that won't let you share passwords.

The move was officially announced Monday (March 4) at Morgan Stanley's 2024 Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco by JB Perrette, President of Global Streaming & Gaming The announcement was made official by (h/t The Wrap). In formally announcing this impending crackdown, Perrette said, "We see this as a meaningful opportunity relative to the size of our business."

Max plans to begin cracking down on password sharing later this year and fully roll out the program in 2025. This means that there are only a few months left when you can use someone else's account to view Max's library of shows and movies.

Of course, Max is not the first streaming service to crack down on password sharing. In fact, it is almost the last.

Netflix kicked off the move in early 2023 with its first major password-sharing crackdown, deviating from the streaming traits it once espoused. People were outraged, assumed it was a massive mistake on Netflix's part, and expected subscriber numbers to plummet.

and ...... It didn't. In fact, it worked out beautifully for Netflix. At the end of May, Netflix reported that "...... in the U.S. reported "more new subscribers than in any other four-day period," and in the second quarter of 2023, it gained 6 million new subscribers. That number grew again in the third quarter, adding another 8.8 million subscribers to the streaming service, and Netflix declared itself "completely satisfied" with its crackdown on password sharing.

So it is no surprise that other streaming services (all of which are still struggling to turn a profit) are following Netflix's lead; Hulu announced its crackdown on password sharing on February 1, and Disney Plus confirmed its password sharing crackdown just six days later Disney Plus confirmed its crackdown on password sharing just six days later. Both password-sharing crackdowns will begin on March 14.

Max has not yet confirmed the exact date of the crackdown, but Perrette's proposed timeline seems to call for a start in Q4 2024, with a full rollout in Q1 or Q2 2025. Just don't expect this to be the end of the password sharing crackdown. Merger negotiations between Peacock and Paramount are ongoing, and Paramount Plus is looking for a way to turn a profit in 2025.