As the streaming wars ramp up, people are finding it difficult to justify splashing out on multiple subscriptions, but Jam is allowing users to share passwords with friends on an encrypted platform. We explore the insights behind this and how brands can promote security to ease mounting data privacy concerns.
Founded by John Backus, the Jam app allows people to save their streaming site passwords, protected by local encryption, and share them with others. Users can authorise which friends can access which platforms, and the app lets friends know which subscriptions have room for others to use.
“The need for Jam was obvious. I don’t want to find out my ex-girlfriend’s roommate has been using my account again. Everyone shares passwords, but for consumers there isn’t a secure way to do that. Why?” says Backus. “In the enterprise world, team password managers reflect the reality that multiple people need to access the same account, regularly. Consumers don’t have the same kind of system, and that’s bad for security and coordination.”
Rising costs have contributed to Netflix's slower growth in the US, with over 80% of 13- to 24-year-olds having given out or used someone else’s online TV password to share accounts. However, with people’s concerns about data and password privacy on the rise, they may respond positively to a streamlined app that allows them to do this safely. As Disney+ enters the scene, the streaming market looks set to fragment further, but brands that demonstrate they take online privacy seriously may be well-positioned to stay ahead of the game. Also tapping into this is Digi.me, which explicitly asks users to accept or reject data requests from online platforms.
Anna Yaffe is an intern at Canvas8 and a psychology and cognitive neuroscience graduate. Born and bred in Manchester, she can be found revelling in all of London’s tourist hotspots while making her way through the entire collection of Desert Island Discs podcasts.
