Netflix Begins Blocking Users Who Bypass Region Locks

An anonymous reader writes with reports that Netflix may be shutting out international VPN users. "Netflix can only stream the videos that studios make available in a given country, which has led to a booming business in workarounds (such as proxies and virtual private networks) that let you see the company's catalogs in other nations. Heck, one New Zealand internet provider practically built a service around it. However, you might not get to count on that unofficial solution for much longer. VPN operators claim to TorrentFreak that Netflix recently started blocking some users who use these technological loopholes to watch videos that would normally be verboten. The effort isn't widespread and mostly appears to focus on connections with many simultaneous Netflix sign-ins (that is, they're obviously being used for circumvention), but it's a surprise to viewers who were used to having unfettered access."

Comments

It's Dupe-L-Licious!

[Frosty Piss]

It's dupe-l-licious!

Well, OK, this "story" has an additional linky to engadget...

Netflix really does have to do this, their business requires the licenses and cooperation of the Media Mafia, who could snuff them out if they chose. There would be lawsuits, but Netflix would be essentially over.

I don't know much about why there are such restrictions, do they charge different amounts in different countries? Shouldn't it all be pretty much the same, money-wise? Is it an issue of censorship based on the particular country's politics?

VPNs aren't only for bypassing region limits

[TechyImmigrant]

Often they are used to bypass the decidedly not net-neutral treatment of Netflix by your ISP.

dupe

[bloodhawk]

perhaps they could also show Slashdot how to block dupes.

Re:If only there was a way for Slashdot editors

[OzPeter]

To coordinate and block duplicate stories.

Its like they don't even talk to each other.

Shit they don't even have to talk to each other. All they Have to do is LOOK at /.