Netflix adds PINs to profiles so I can stop freeloaders from screwing up my recommendations

Netflix today added a feature that allows you to set a four-digit PIN on your user profile. While the feature was baked into a new set of parental controls and is ostensibly to stop kids from accessing content meant for grown-up persons, I know the real reason: to stop people from messing up your recommendations.

I’ve ‘lent’ my Netflix password to so many people over the years, I’m pretty sure every other person I know is using my Netflix password. For all I know, they’ve given that password to more other people. It would explain why I have recommendations like ‘exciting foreign language murder mysteries for children and families.’ Okay, that’s not a real thing, but you get my point.

It’s not like I haven’t taken precautions. I literally have a profile called ‘Everyone’ just so the freeloaders can keep all their weird stuff in one place. Yet for some reason, the miscreants still like to watch stuff on the profile that has my name on it.

No more. You can adjust pin settings within the “Profile and Parental Controls” section of the app’s settings. Thanks, Netflix.

(For more on today’s parental controls update, you can check out Netflix’s post here.)