Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.Paul Sakuma/The Associated Press
Parents rejoice – Netflix Inc. plans to stop mixing adult and kids' shows on the same screen when offering up a list of recommended titles.
In a move that the company deems as an overdue and common sense upgrade, the screen that offers up content based on previous viewing will be modified to ensure children don't end up watching The Walking Dead when what they really wanted was Scooby Doo.
This summer it will introduce a feature that allows subscribers to set up profiles to keep the viewing histories of different family members separate. It currently has a Just For Kids section, but its default menu offers recommendations based on every title watched on an account.
This can lead to some awkward moments, as over-eager children try to find something quickly and end up watching something inappropriate.
"Your history and their history won't be intermixed," chief executive officer Reed Hastings said in an interview. "If you've got kids, they won't be seeing what you're watching. It's an obvious thing, and it's overdue."
Netflix has an estimated two million Canadian subscribers, and about 36 million worldwide.