diff --git a/Doc/library/nntplib.rst b/Doc/library/nntplib.rst
index ea08fcaac87..0f978067349 100644
--- a/Doc/library/nntplib.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/nntplib.rst
@@ -52,24 +52,26 @@ headers, and that you have right to post on the particular newsgroup)::
 The module itself defines the following classes:
 
 
-.. class:: NNTP(host, port=119, user=None, password=None, readermode=None, usenetrc=True, [timeout])
+.. class:: NNTP(host, port=119, user=None, password=None, readermode=None, usenetrc=False, [timeout])
 
    Return a new :class:`NNTP` object, representing a connection
    to the NNTP server running on host *host*, listening at port *port*.
    An optional *timeout* can be specified for the socket connection.
    If the optional *user* and *password* are provided, or if suitable
    credentials are present in :file:`/.netrc` and the optional flag *usenetrc*
-   is true (the default), the ``AUTHINFO USER`` and ``AUTHINFO PASS`` commands
-   are used to identify and authenticate the user to the server.  If the optional
+   is true, the ``AUTHINFO USER`` and ``AUTHINFO PASS`` commands are used
+   to identify and authenticate the user to the server.  If the optional
    flag *readermode* is true, then a ``mode reader`` command is sent before
    authentication is performed.  Reader mode is sometimes necessary if you are
    connecting to an NNTP server on the local machine and intend to call
    reader-specific commands, such as ``group``.  If you get unexpected
    :exc:`NNTPPermanentError`\ s, you might need to set *readermode*.
-   *readermode* defaults to ``None``. *usenetrc* defaults to ``True``.
+
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.2
+      *usenetrc* is now False by default.
 
 
-.. class:: NNTP_SSL(host, port=563, user=None, password=None, ssl_context=None, readermode=None, usenetrc=True, [timeout])
+.. class:: NNTP_SSL(host, port=563, user=None, password=None, ssl_context=None, readermode=None, usenetrc=False, [timeout])
 
    Return a new :class:`NNTP_SSL` object, representing an encrypted
    connection to the NNTP server running on host *host*, listening at
diff --git a/Lib/nntplib.py b/Lib/nntplib.py
index 79611b36803..70a75b60d27 100644
--- a/Lib/nntplib.py
+++ b/Lib/nntplib.py
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class _NNTPBase:
                  readermode=None, timeout=_GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT):
         """Initialize an instance.  Arguments:
         - file: file-like object (open for read/write in binary mode)
-        - host: hostname of the server (used if `usenetrc` is True)
+        - host: hostname of the server
         - readermode: if true, send 'mode reader' command after
                       connecting.
         - timeout: timeout (in seconds) used for socket connections
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ class _NNTPBase:
 class NNTP(_NNTPBase):
 
     def __init__(self, host, port=NNTP_PORT, user=None, password=None,
-                 readermode=None, usenetrc=True,
+                 readermode=None, usenetrc=False,
                  timeout=_GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT):
         """Initialize an instance.  Arguments:
         - host: hostname to connect to
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ if _have_ssl:
 
         def __init__(self, host, port=NNTP_SSL_PORT,
                     user=None, password=None, ssl_context=None,
-                    readermode=None, usenetrc=True,
+                    readermode=None, usenetrc=False,
                     timeout=_GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT):
             """This works identically to NNTP.__init__, except for the change
             in default port and the `ssl_context` argument for SSL connections.
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 1c0da0c48c7..519c1899e9f 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- ``usenetrc`` is now false by default for NNTP objects.
+
 - Issue #1926: Add support for NNTP over SSL on port 563, as well as
   STARTTLS.  Patch by Andrew Vant.