Culture Secretary admits sharing streaming service account with other households in breach of terms and conditions
The Culture Secretary has admitted she shares her Netflix password with four other households across the country.
Nadine Dorries, 64, said four other people, including her mother, have access to her account with the streaming service, in breach of its terms and conditions which say users must live together.
Appearing before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, she described the current system for subscribers as "incredibly generous".
She added: "My mum has access to my account, the kids do. I have Netflix but there are four other people who can use my Netflix account in different parts of the country."
Laughing, she added: "Am I not supposed to do that?"
DCMS permanent secretary Sarah Healey added: "So many people watch it in my house I had to pay for the more expensive one."
Ms Dorries was also questioned over the future of Channel 4 after the Government announced plans to press ahead with its privatisation.
She said she "can't see a scenario" in which a privately owned Channel 4 would become partly or wholly subscription based, and suggested any buyer may have to commit to a 10-year freeze on certain changes.
Last month, Netflix suffered its first subscriber loss in more than a decade, causing its shares to plunge 25 per cent in extended trading.
Ms Dorries said a potential move by the streaming giant into advertising, as opposed to subscription alone, would further negatively impact public service broadcasters such as Channel 4.
The broadcaster has been publicly owned since its creation in 1982 by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher, and is entirely funded by advertising.
She said: "I think for people to even try and paint a picture that Netflix is unsuccessful or struggling is probably slightly over-egging the pudding.
"Netflix has done what many businesses do.
"It has reached the point of market saturation, which is a good thing for Netflix but they are going to have to revise their business model, and they will probably revise it in a way that will make it much more difficult for public service broadcasters who rely on advertising revenue."