The move will be bad news for anyone who shares a Netflix account with another household.

According to Sky News, some users have started to get notifications which ask them to verify they live with the account holder.

The message states: “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.”

Users are then prompted to use a code texted or emailed to the account owner to continue.

According to a Netflix spokesperson, “hundreds” of tests are done every year with customers on this issue.

How much does Netflix cost?

A Basic Netflix subscription package, which costs £5.99 a month, gives users access to just one screen at standard definition.

But more expensive subscriptions allow Netflix to be used on more than device at the same time – these are the accounts likely to be shared.

Netflix’s Standard package costs £9.99 a month and lets you watch Netflix in high definition on up to two devices at once, and download shows to up to two mobile phones or tablets.

Netflix’s Premium package costs £13.99 a month, and lets you watch Netflix in ultra-high definition on up to four devices at once, and download shows to up to four mobile phones or tablets.

Netflix put its prices up in December.

Clamping down on account sharing will mean more people will have to take out their own Netflix accounts instead of sharing with friends and family.

The trial could also be used to help with account security, and not necessarily just for cracking down on password sharing.

What do Netflix’ terms and conditions say?

Netflix account terms state: “The Netflix service and any content viewed through the service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.

“The member who created the Netflix account and whose payment method is charged (the ‘account owner’) is responsible for any activity that occurs through the Netflix account. To maintain control over the account and to prevent anyone from accessing the account (which would include information on viewing history for the account), the account owner should maintain control over the Netflix ready devices that are used to access the service and not reveal the password or details of the payment method associated with the account to anyone.”