[Walt Disney™]

The other shoe has dropped: Netflix will actively prevent the use of proxies and VPNs to access movies that the service shows in other regions.

It’s become a common practice in some areas: users sign up for a virtual private network to avoid censorship bans, access content that was otherwise blocked, or just to avoid network throttling from carriers like Verizon.

Users have also used VPNs to access movies that Netflix shows in Australia, for example, but doesn’t have the rights to show within the United States. But Hollywood hates that, and began pressuring Netflix to crack down last year. And Netflix, it appears, is planning to do just that. Users began noting that the Netflix app on Android was having trouble accessing foreign content via a VPN last week, and today Netflix made it official: if you’re using a VPN or proxy, the good times are over.

In the “coming weeks,” executives said, you’ll be able to access Netflix content that’s licensed to the country where you physically reside, proxy or no.

In a blog post, David Fullagar, the vice president of content delivery at Netflix, said that the goal was for Netflix to offer the same movies and TV shows on a worldwide basis. But for now, that’s not possible. “In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location,” he wrote.

“That means in coming weeks, those using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country where they currently are,” Fullgar added. “We are confident this change won’t impact members not using proxies.”

Why this matters: Netflix currently offers content in 190 countries, so it’s hard to see a future where a studio licenses the same movie for streaming on an global basis. And we’re confident that a subset of determined users will find a way around the region blocks. Still, with rumors beginning to circulate that UHD Blu-ray discs will not be region-restricted, it’s hard not to see region locking within the streaming market as simply backwards.

I'm going to miss UK Netflix. All those shows from childhood.

Source

[LilDurk]

Noooo Netflix will be fucking up too, RIP Generators?

[nerdtopia]

I don't understand, isn't the entire point if a VPN to mask your location? How can Netflix know whether I'm using a VPN or not, and if they can, will there be a way to bypass it?

[emjay]

I don't understand, isn't the entire point if a VPN to mask your location? How can Netflix know whether I'm using a VPN or not, and if they can, will there be a way to bypass it?

Maybe they're just going to set access by the country on the billing details. I'm curious about that myself.

[Tyler‌]

I'm laughing at how many people are butthurt over this.

There are region restrictions in place for a reason and I'm sure what people are doing is against their ToU.

[Supreme.tm]

Oh well I don't watch stuff outside the USA anyway.. but I don't think they should ban them. They could block them the same was HF does. I wonder if this means no more Netflix account shops lol

[shreder]

I ain't watching something in Russia or somewhere else so doesn't effect me.

[Revamp]

That is why you use Residential VPN/Proxy.

[streusel]

I think they just tell the press/public they "are about to do something about it" so they can go on like they did - just tolerting it. The content providers propably just pushed Netflix and so they make this public statement just so they can refer to it later and say "we're trying our best!"

I they really enforce it, Netflix can shut down, here in my country nobody uses it without a VPN.

[Itmelin]

sucks, I just use couch tuner usually anyway, gets the job done

[Windows95]

I own home connection proxies, pretty sure I'm set.

['OverSight]

That is why you use Residential VPN/Proxy.

There's not a lot of Residential proxies or vpns openly available that I'm aware of. The ones I've seen are like 25 dollars a month... is that even worth?

[B FOR BADASS]

Yes, I too heard about this news. Thx

[ΞMINƎM]

I never even thought of using a vpn.. I'm happy with the american shows.

[Tyler‌]

I never even thought of using a vpn.. I'm happy with the american shows.

People seem to feel that their money entitles them to bypass restrictions.