What to Do Against Netflix Banning VPNs

Whack-a-VPN

The first news about the supposed stop of VPN use on Netflix was worrisome, but industry experts are positive that there is more smoke to this than actual fire. For starters, Netflix uses undescribed terms about their plan to battle it. They claimed they’ll use “the same or similar measures other firms do”. Well, other companies also tried to block VPN access, but they failed. First, there are just too many providers to block them individually, and second, an already blocked service can change its addressing, and they are back in the game.

This is coupled with the fact that most industry countermeasures can be evaded by scrambling your metadata and connecting to a dedicated server – features that popular VPN provides already offer. These are the reasons that most people are unfazed about the claims of Netflix, believing that VPN has such strong roots in the digital community that battling them is like playing whack-a-mole: no matter how many times you strike down, they appear at another virtual loophole.

My NetFlix, my privacy

After the initial announcement, people accused Netflix that their idea of blocking VPN is more about pleasing Hollywood and the rights holders than international content sharing. Others speculate that this action would drive people back to pirating movies and series. Even though Netflix seems to be adamant about changing their mind, people created an act called “My NetFlix, My Privacy”, demanding the company to stop abusing their rights to privacy, and “stand up to big media bullies”. This act essentially shows people insist on using Netflix in conjunction with VPN, as they feel free to enhance the experience however they like, as long as they pay for the service.