# Plex Shuts Down User Accounts for Having Too Many „Friends“
Recently, several users of the popular media center software Plex received an unexpected notification from the service provider. Plex, known for assisting users in managing their personal collections of movies, TV series, and music, as well as facilitating mobile access to these collections, has started deactivating user accounts. The reason? Having too many „friends.“
## An Unpleasant Surprise in Users‘ Inboxes
The email notifications sent out by Plex informed users that their accounts had been deactivated. The company cited unspecified information indicating that some users might have been sharing their media server content in exchange for financial compensation. Despite these allegations, many affected users have denied any wrongdoing.
## Sharing with Up to 100 „Friends“
Reports from several impacted users suggest that they were sharing their Plex servers with large groups of friends, relatives, and acquaintances, with many nearing the maximum limit of 100 connected user accounts. It’s important to note that Plex’s providers do not access the contents of user servers. Their role is limited to software maintenance and managing user accounts, enabling the sharing of media collections among friends.
As of now, it remains unclear why these particular users received account termination notices. What is clear, though, is that these users are currently unable to access their Plex accounts and are forced to look for alternative software solutions for managing their media collections stored on NAS devices and home servers, such as Jellyfin.
## Hetzner Blockade Since Fall 2023
Adding to the challenges for Plex users, in September 2023, Plex decided to block all IP addresses belonging to Hetzner, a popular German hosting provider. Since this decision, it has become impossible to run Plex instances on Hetzner servers.
This series of events has sparked discussions and concerns among Plex users, especially those who relied on the service for sharing their media collections with a larger circle of friends and family. The crackdown on user accounts for having too many „friends“ has left many looking for alternative solutions and questioning the flexibility of Plex’s policies.
For now, the Plex community is left waiting for further clarification from the company regarding these deactivations, hoping for a resolution that balances security concerns with the freedom to share media within their personal networks.
source: https://www.ifun.de/zu-viele-freunde-plex-deaktiviert-nutzerkonten-228320/
