Netflix Blocks Use of VPN, Proxies and Unblockers

Netflix will now control its viewership in a number of countries.

Netflix Inc. soon will be clamping down the VPN, proxies that are being used internationally to gain access to the streaming media’s full content library. A number of subscribers worldwide have expressed their feelings on the matter as they feel it their right to get the same number of shows, series, and movies available as they are in the United States.

With time, it has become quite evident that subscribers all over the world gain access to the American version of Netflix via VPNs, unblockers and proxies. The sole reason is the larger library of the US version from which a user can choose content to stream. The American library includes at least 5000 movies and more than a thousand television shows, while on the other hand, the international version of the online video streamer offers 1500 movies and around 500 TV shows in the various international markets.

The popular shows such as “Narcos”, “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards” are widely available in the United States, so most of the international viewership is accessed via proxies. However, thanks to the latest announcement, these subscribers will not be able to avail VPN services anymore to view content not available in their country.

Despite the fact that this practice by users does not necessarily affect Netflix directly but gives it the wrong data suggesting that traffic is coming from the US; the actual location of the user remains unknown. Vice President of Content Delivery Architecture, David Fullagar, told that if all of the content were made available globally, then there would not be a need to use proxies and VPNs to access the streaming media service.

The company recently made the big announcement of being in over 130 countries globally excluding China. At the CES, CEO Reed Hastings said that not all the content is immediately available in all countries but the company is working on fixing this issue. The use of proxies and VPNs to access the service is a violation of the service’s term of use along with the licensed restrictions set by the content owners.

The streaming media giant has a liability to its content owners that it needs to fulfill because of which it is required to act strictly against the use of proxies and VPNs. The company is allowed to only air content to different regions that have been authorized by the content owners.