Netflix blocks non-US users attempting to access US content, starting in Australia

The crackdown has officially started. Last week, Netflix said it would clamp down on users who were using proxies or VPN services to get around geographical content restrictions, and it looks like it is dead serious about it. The blocks on these workarounds are already in place in Australia, with some users reportedly unable to access US content with the usual methods.

For instance, uFlix, a paid service that enables anyone in Australia to access US content by changing their IP address and DNS settings, said that Netflix had already started blocking users from viewing its US-only videos. Certain customers in Australia have apparently run into a message informing them that an unblocker or proxy has been detected, and that they should turn off these services before trying to access Netflix again.

The ban seems to only be affecting a limited number of users currently, but this number is expected to increase in time. And even though the move seems counterintuitive and may end up backfiring on the company, there’s still a good chance that the blockade will roll out to other countries in the near future, including Singapore.

Netflix’s doubling down on proxies and VPN services is largely motivated by fragmented content licensing deals that have left vast disparities in content between different countries. For instance, users in Singapore only have access to a measly 10% of the US content library, even if Netflix is working toward creating a single content library for its now global service.

Source: uFlix via Engadget

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