Netflix Is Intentionally Lowering Video Quality for Some Customers
No, you weren't just imagining it.


Netflix admitted Thursday that they intentionally lower video quality for customers with AT&T and Verizon, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The practice is called "throttling," and the Netflix says they do it to "protect consumers from exceeding mobile data caps," according to the report. So, the company caps video streams at 600 kilobits-per-second for those carriers, which charge you if you go over your limit. Otherwise users would consume their entire month's allowance after just two hours of streaming with Verizon's $80 plan. So basically, Netflix was worried if you reached your cap after just two episodes of House of Cards, it would discourage you from using the service.
The company says it's been slowing down the quality for certain users for more than five years. And in a statement posted on their site, they claim, "This hasn't been an issue for our members."
"We're outraged to learn that Netflix is apparently throttling video for their AT&T customers without their knowledge or consent," Jim Cicconi, AT&T's senior executive vice president of external and legislative affairs, told the Wall Street Journal. (Worth noting: AT&T would likely profit—big time—from Netflix ceasing this practice.)
Netflix says people who have T-Mobile and Sprint are getting higher quality streams, because those companies don't charge overage fees if you exceed your limit. Here's a video Milan Milanović, who works in the IT industry and was one of the first to notice the lower speeds, posted to show the difference.
Netflix says in the statement a new data-saving feature will be rolled out in May. No details on the feature yet, but it better mean maximum viewing quality for the new season of Orange Is the New Black.
Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Kate Storey is a contributing editor at Marie Claire and writer-at-large at Esquire magazine, where she covers culture and politics. Kate's writing has appeared in ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR, Town & Country, and Cosmopolitan, and her first book comes out in summer 2023.
-
The Hottest Person You Know Is Probably Wearing This Unusual Perfume for Spring
The season’s new signature scent.
By Ariel Baker Published
-
Sydney Sweeney Glows in an Anti-Bridal Corset Dress
The newly single star looked snatched in Wiederhoeft.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Princess Beatrice Is Following in the Footsteps of a Surprising Royal
The second-time mom has an incredible example in this regal figure.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
IU and Moon So-Ri Hope 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' Inspires You to Live Differently
The Korean actresses discuss both playing Ae-sun and how the Netflix K-drama related to their own lives.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Meet the 'Survival of the Thickest' Season 2 Cast
There's so much to love about Michelle Buteau's Netflix comedy about a stylist looking for love and success.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Where Is 'Million Dollar Secret' Filmed? What to Know About the Luxury Estate That Doubles As The Stag
Netflix's new answer to 'The Traitors' follows 12 people as they compete for $1,000,000 in a gorgeous lakeside chateau.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
'Weak Hero Class 2': Everything We Know
If you already binged the cult-loved series, don't fret: New episodes are coming soon.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Meet the Cast of 'Million Dollar Secret'
The new reality competition is filled with cutthroat backstabbers.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Where Is Graham Hornigold Now? What We Know About the 'Con Mum' Subject
The renowned pastry chef is on the hook for over £300,000.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Who Is Owen Cooper, the First-Time Actor Who Plays Jamie in 'Adolescence'?
Cooper is garnering Emmy buzz for his role as a 13-year-old accused of murder in the U.K. miniseries.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Where Was 'The Residence' Filmed? What to Know About the Location Transformed Into The White House
The Shondaland-produced Netflix series pulled off the largest-ever recreation of the Executive Mansion.
By Quinci LeGardye Published