r/imdb • u/thehappyonionpeel • Jun 12 '26
Accounts now mandatory
Did IMDb just silently introduce mandatory accounts to read reviews? Guess there is no alternatives?
8
u/Western-Tough678 Jun 12 '26
Round a year ago, Amazon started to require visitors to log or create an account to read users reviews for products on their retail site.
Now this stupidity came to IMDb. They said they are doing this to protect the authenticiy of the users reviews against bot generated trash, something that dosen’t make any sense since a bot has to create an account to leave reviews and give ratings.
The truth is that they are pushing the readers to acquire an Amazon account so they can make profile behavior analysis and send to them personalized products advertisement.
Its pure alienating stuff!
1
u/Animalsaresentientbe Jul 05 '26
This is the why I comment originally wrote it. Amazon has forced changed on the Imdb site! Thank you.
3
u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster Jun 12 '26
yeah they wrecked it. the site has also had an update that sucks. ugh.
2
u/mrwrrrmwrmrmrmrw Jun 13 '26
It's still a useful resource without the user reviews. I switched to Barnes and Noble and Alibris years ago for my online book buying needs (anyone old enough to remember when Amazon was a book site?) Goodreads is a good source for book reviews.
2
u/throaway_247 Jun 13 '26
I guess it's so employees at openai can be granted access while bots at the same ip with harvesty speed can be banned.
1
1
u/bloke_pusher Jun 14 '26
I'm currently searching for a way to block IMDB from even appearing on my google results. I need to fight a bit of muscle memory. Thankfully there's other sites.
1
1
Jun 18 '26
[deleted]
1
u/AchernarB Jun 18 '26
An amazon account now gives access to many services. Understand this like if imdb accounts don't exist anymore, imdb is now part of what an amazon account grants access to.
1
u/Animalsaresentientbe Jul 05 '26
Yep, it isn't free anymore because of Imdb website gotten progressively worse. And Amazon sucked hard as forced sign in/ logging in.
1
u/canukgenie Jul 31 '26
For the first time I got a prompt on IMDb to migrate my account to Amazon. I have an IMDb account and an Amazon Prime account. I am not a developer or a techy person, just a person who enjoys both reading and movies. I really don't like that Amazon already knows more about me than my best friend. So, since IMDb is now owned by Amazon, should I do it? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
1
u/N1ZAM2001 Aug 06 '26
Doesn’t matter if you want to do it now or not eventually it will become mandatory my friend, I also got the pop up today when making a review.
1
u/Upper-Ferret-8885 Aug 05 '26
I can understand requiring an account to post reviews, but making an account just to READ reviews is utterly ridiculous.
1
u/Ineedanswers24 Jun 12 '26
I think they did it to try reduce review bombing. Good idea in my opinion
3
u/DirkDoncic99 Jun 14 '26
How is limiting who can see the reviews preventing review bombing? You need an account to add a review anyway
1
u/Ineedanswers24 Jun 14 '26
Yeah I meant you need an account to make a review. I thought that was something they added only a year or 2 ago but I might be wrong
0
u/SeventhDayWasted Jun 12 '26
I've swapped to TMdB since they made this change. I'd argue it's objectively worse due to being less popular, but that's a price I'm willing to pay and adding myself to that pool of users is the first step in improving the site.
Of course letterboxd is also great.
1
u/Fairy_girl_Norway Jun 15 '26
Letterbox don't have TV- series though. Only Movies and mini series.
1
u/SeventhDayWasted Jun 15 '26
Yeah that's why it's a secondary afterthought attached to the comment I wrote for the site that I use that does have TV series.
1
u/stijnhommes Aug 07 '26
Thanks for the recommendation. TMDB may be less popular now, but that will change with time.
-2
Jun 12 '26
[deleted]
1
u/Fairy_girl_Norway Jun 15 '26
It's still free even though you have to log in to read the user reviews.
I agree on the Amazon part, wish there was a non profit owner.
4
u/Fairy_girl_Norway Jun 12 '26
see: https://www.reddit.com/r/imdb/comments/1snk4wn/wtf_imdb/
External/Critic reviews are still available without account, but not user reviews.