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Bad news if you watch Netflix content from other countries: proxies will soon be blocked

There’s bad news for anyone who uses a proxy service to access Netflix content from outside their own country: the company says in a blog post that it will be blocking proxies within the “coming weeks” …

Outdated licensing agreements with content owners – still based on the old days of selling content to local TV networks – mean that Netflix offers access to different TV shows in different countries. Many Netflix users use a proxy app like VPN Unlimited to spoof the location of their device, especially to gain access to the huge U.S. catalog from elsewhere.

Netflix has so far made only the most cursory of attempts to block these, meaning that both iOS apps and browser plugins have generally worked. With the recent rollout to more than 130 new countries, however, it’s likely that content owners have required the company to take real steps to tackle the issue.

The move will be something of a gamble on the company’s part. Many Netflix subscribers outside the US pay for membership specifically to get earlier access to shows first launched in the US, and may now cancel their subscriptions – but Netflix will be hoping that this is more than offset by revenue from the new countries.

Netflix was one of the services featured in a recent Apple TV promotion while Apple continues to work on developing its own streaming content package.

Photo: The Verge

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Comments

  1. krakowian - 8 years ago

    “cancel their subscriptions”… yup. That’s us. I was very disappointed at what is offered internationally, and my initial delight in not having to use Hola was turned to disappointment that I would have to continue using it, but if this happens, we’ll just have to cancel. It’s not worth the money they are asking for the paucity of what they are offering.

  2. Vlado Bízik - 8 years ago

    Totally cancelling my sub if this happens. Their international catalog is laughable and if they don’t want our money, so be it.

  3. Jonny - 8 years ago

    Cancon warning – I wonder if the timing for both shomi and CraveTV’s recent pushes to expand outside of just Rogers and Bell subscribers, respectively, was done with the knowledge that Netflix would be making this adjustment around the same time. They both could potentially gain subscribers as it seems like their catalogues include a lot of what US Netflix does.

  4. Martin Svetoslav Polovka - 8 years ago

    I think thats a FACISM! If i pay for something i wanna have full access to everything! Why i as a European man – Slovak dont have acces to Star Wars The Clone Wars on iTunes? Bec im not American. Why i dont have normal and best seasons on Netflix, bec im Slovak! Thats Facism at all, its discusting method of milking customers.

    • chriscarnie1 - 8 years ago

      I wouldn’t exactly call it fascism, but this sucks and will immediately cancel my subscription if they block me for using a proxy.

  5. tcg64 - 8 years ago

    In the long run, this may be a step to the right direction (I suppose that at a not-too-distant-future rights will converge anyway). In the short run, people will get their shows elsewhere.

  6. Kris404 - 8 years ago

    These kind of anti-user policies are what lead to piracy

  7. pjgois - 8 years ago

    What about if you are an american living outside the US for an extended period?

    • Ben Lovejoy - 8 years ago

      There seem to be various theories floating around at how they might tackle this. One way would be to target non-US accounts watching US content, but I’ve also seen reports of detecting VPN endpoints. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

  8. pjgois - 8 years ago

    I’m Portuguese and originally I set up a iTunes account on the Portuguese store. While still in Portugal I decided to subscribe to Netflix through the Portuguese iTunes store. Now I live in Cape Verde. I feel that since I did not change nationality I should still be able to access any service as if I was still in Portugal.

    • petruj87 - 8 years ago

      According to the comtent rules you should not. Content owners make special exclusive rights with broadcasters in countries which guarantee them that noone in that country (resident or visitoe) can access the same content. They force companies like Netflix to enforce such rules ir face fines. Hopefuly once Netflix-likes will gain enough power to broke this stupid approach is way too complicated for users and which in it’s esence damage legal consumption and supports piracy.

  9. Jeff Perry - 8 years ago

    Wow so now when I deploy I can no longer watch anything that I am accustomed to.

  10. Cameron Stuart - 8 years ago

    It can’t be done a workaround will be in place within a month of Netflix putting there VPN blocking system in place, as soon as the hackers know what there up against there will be a solution.

  11. finngodo - 8 years ago

    Doods, this isn’t Netflix’s fault. 99% of Netflix’s originals are available worldwide with biggest exception of House of Cards in some areas since it was co-produced.

    You have third party rights holders to blame since they like to sell their content to the highest bidder in any given region. They hold Netflix legally liable for content distributed outside a contracted region. This system is going to be slow to change if ever, and the only way Netflix is really going to be able to have everything universal is to have enough original content that it can cut third party content out (its longterm strategy).

    I’d definitely be upset if I was only getting a third of the content as us Yanks and paying the same price, but Netflix is such a value to begin with that I can’t imagine the US version being $10 and the rest of the world $3. That would cause even worse PR.

  12. pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

    people wouldnt have to use proxies IF these companies actually realised that they have international customers, and that even local people travel — i think if a company was able to offer full service to ALL videos internationally, they will get a lot of customers…
    I live abroad, if i were to use the local netflix, local hulu etc – they have certain shows that are subbed, but some that are dubbed, even though they are english shows — it is really frustrating.

  13. Ameer Hassan Tajaldeen - 8 years ago

    thanks netflix for making streaming available in sudan i will not cancel , hopefully amazon follows suit so we can watch american movies and tv shows in Sudan. WOOW THATS EXCITING TO NEWS

  14. Michael Gebert - 8 years ago

    I don’t understand why they would not make an exception for US residence. I travel overseas a lot and even live overseas for stretches of time, but if I have a US address, and bank cards with American Banks, and pay American bills, why can’t I access my netflix account anywhere. After all it is the WORLD WIDE WEB, right. Why restrict me my service I am paying for because I am in another location. For that matter, many of our digital rights need to be updated for travel abroad, because we live in a world that is beyond the borders of the states, but I should be able to access what I am paying for regardless of where I am accessing it from. Who wants to start a petition to the FCC to protect our rights to access our services we pay for whether its Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc….?????

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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