Why Netflix Doesn’t Want You to Use a VPN

If you are using a VPN to access Netflix, you might have already had problems connecting to this popular streaming service. Netflix is trying out ways to block users trying to access their library illegitimately. However, in doing so, Netflix is also inadvertently blocking legitimate subscribers who use a VPN to access the service.

Netflix is feeling pressure from the major movie studios to undertake action against people from outside the US who are using VPN’s and other tools such as SmartDNS to bypass geolocation restrictions. These make it possible to subscribe to the American Netflix and watch its contents from anywhere in the world. That way, you can watch Netflix in countries where Netflix doesn’t have a license to show you their content. And even in countries across the world where Netflix has already rolled out, tens of thousands of people virtually change their location to one in the US, so they can have access to the much larger library of the American Netflix.

Netflix attempting to block VPN IP addresses

As you can understand, the movie studios are not happy with this and are claiming that these “illegal” users are costing them a lot of money. They are forcing Netflix to take action, and the company is reportedly trying out ways to block users from getting to content they are not allowed to have access to. Netflix has made some changes to its Android app to force it to use Google DNS, thus making it very difficult to use a location unblocker. Also, companies selling VPN services have seen a huge increase in users complaining they cannot access their legitimate Netflix-subscriptions anymore. This points towards Netflix blocking IP-ranges of VPN service providers.

Netflix is trying to deny the whole thing, and in a recent statement has claimed that there are no changes in their policy against illegal VPN-usage. But documents from the recent leak at Sony show that the movie giant has indeed been in contact with Netflix about the misuse of their content. There is no reason why we shouldn’t assume other studios are also pressuring Netflix. It’s a big headache for Netflix, as there is a risk that US subscribers using a VPN, who now have issues accessing the service, might cancel their subscription. Some commenters see this as a way of pushing people back towards downloading torrents to get the latest movies and tv-shows. Since other services like Hulu are also actively looking into ways to enforce geolocation restrictions, this seems like a legitimate possibility.