Netflix put into practice its zero tolerance policy over users who use Virtual Private Network (VPN) services and Domain Name System hacks to watch U.S.-destined content. The streaming service spoiled a number of location cloaking methods during the last week.
Multiple VPN services, such as Express VPN, Mullvad and Private Internet Access are no longer accessible to viewers outside the United States. Netflix banned their access, and users are not enjoying this one bit.
A long thread on Reddit stands proof of the fact that Netflix cracked on users who used their VPN sessions in a fraudulent manner. Instead of connecting to the service and enjoying the latest episode of their favorite show, users got an error message.
The techies' struggles to work around the issue proved fruitful for a number of days, but the window of opportunity for this behavior is shrinking.
Among the countries to be cut off, Australia was first. Then the whip came for Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain and the United Kingdom. Anecdotally, rumors say that even local VPNs (from UK, for example) locked access to the UK Netflix service, just because.
Allegedly, as many as 14,000 movies and TV series available to customers worldwide were at the disposal of fraudulent users.
To have a better perspective, UK Netflix customers only get about 2,800 movies and TV shows in their geo-locked subscription.
There are many ways in which Netflix can detect and stop overseas customers from getting access to geographically specific content. For example, the company could look at your credit card that you used for the subscription and decide whether or not you qualify for an area-specific show.
VPNs can disguise your device, so it seems as if you are streaming content in another country.
VPN providers promised to solve the temporary crackdown and keep their customers updated on the latest televised content. Many complain that Netflix's rapid global expansion is at odds with its strict policies regarding geographically-locked content.
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