{"id":7345,"date":"2015-01-07T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2015-01-07T15:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=7345"},"modified":"2015-01-07T10:00:29","modified_gmt":"2015-01-07T15:00:29","slug":"netflix-begins-blocking-users-who-bypass-region-locks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/01\/07\/netflix-begins-blocking-users-who-bypass-region-locks\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix begins blocking users who bypass region locks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Netflix has begun blocking users’ access to the service when it detects that a geolocation bypassing utility, such as a proxy or VPN, is being used. Although these blocks are currently limited in scope, it could be a precursor to a wider crackdown by the popular streaming service.<\/p>\n

Over the past few weeks, some users who have been bypassing region locks have discovered difficulties watching Netflix content. VPN provider TorGuard noted that there has been a recent spike in errors when connecting specifically to Netflix, indicating the company might be targeting and blocking specific IP addresses linked to bypassing restrictions.<\/p>\n

However not all IP addresses were blocked, and many people could continue to watch Netflix simply by changing their VPN location. The same can’t be said for users of the Android app, who recently found that it was forcing Google DNS, preventing people outside the United States from using the app via popular DNS-based geo-unlocking utilities.<\/p>\n

VPN- and DNS-based region bypassing services have become a major problem for movie and TV studios, which label their users as “VPN pirates”. Although these users are legitimately purchasing subscriptions to Netflix and not strictly pirating content without paying, they are accessing content not normally available to them.<\/p>\n

The reason why content is not available to Netflix users in all locations, and why Netflix libraries and even Netflix access differ from country to country, is down to licensing deals between studios and services.<\/p>\n

In some countries, TV shows and movies are exclusively licensed to services that aren’t Netflix. When a user decides to bypass the region lock on Netflix and watch it there, rather than through the local provider with exclusive access, it affects the studio’s licensing and negotiation process. If too many users choose to watch through cheap and easy services like Netflix, media giants won’t be able to sign as many lucrative, restrictive deals in some locales.<\/p>\n

Naturally the easiest way to solve region locking, blocking and bypassing is to offer content to users in all regions, but thanks to stubborn and ‘old-school’ media companies, this probably won’t be happening any time soon.<\/p>\n

via Netflix begins blocking users who bypass region locks – TechSpot<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Netflix has begun blocking users’ access to the service when it detects that a geolocation bypassing utility, such as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[740,863,1174],"class_list":["post-7345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","tag-netflix","tag-proxy","tag-vpn"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-1Ut","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6383,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/09\/10\/netflix-is-testing-short-form-content-as-a-way-to-increase-mobile-usage\/","url_meta":{"origin":7345,"position":0},"title":"Netflix is testing short-form content as a way to increase mobile usage","author":"NCCT","date":"September 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Netflix has offered a mobile app for quite some time now but let\u2019s face it, nobody really wants to spend hours watching a TV show or movie on a smartphone (unless it\u2019s your absolute last resort). Heck, even a half-hour show can be a bit much on your phone. But\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Software"","block_context":{"text":"Software","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/software\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7525,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/01\/30\/netflix-prepares-a-major-overhaul-for-its-video-streaming-architecture-and-technologies\/","url_meta":{"origin":7345,"position":1},"title":"Netflix prepares a major overhaul for its video streaming architecture and technologies","author":"NCCT","date":"January 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the past 7 years or so, Netflix has expanded from a few thousand occasional users, to a massive video-streaming giant serving up billions of hours of content a month. Now the company is taking a long look at its current streaming infrastructure and plans to make a fairly major\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5613,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/05\/23\/behind-the-curtain-how-netflix-streams-movies-to-your-tv\/","url_meta":{"origin":7345,"position":2},"title":"Behind the curtain: How Netflix streams movies to your TV","author":"NCCT","date":"May 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"At peak times, Netflix accounts for around a third of the consumer Internet traffic in North America. This week, one of its senior engineers described how it gets all those movies to your screen. The company operates its own content delivery network (CDN), a global network of storage servers that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Networking"","block_context":{"text":"Networking","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/networking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5538,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/05\/15\/microsoft-stops-holding-netflix-hulu-hostage-behind-xbox-live-gold-paywall\/","url_meta":{"origin":7345,"position":3},"title":"Microsoft stops holding Netflix, Hulu hostage behind Xbox Live Gold paywall","author":"NCCT","date":"May 15, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE (08:51AM Pacific): Well, looks like Microsoft couldn't wait until E3. They've gone and gotten rid of the Xbox Live Gold requirement and announced a Kinect-free Xbox One. ORIGINAL STORY Talk about funny timing: Just last week our very own Mark Hachman was complaining that Microsoft still holds services like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Microsoft"","block_context":{"text":"Microsoft","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/microsoft\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5571,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/05\/16\/netflixs-many-pronged-plan-to-eliminate-video-playback-problems\/","url_meta":{"origin":7345,"position":4},"title":"Netflix\u2019s many-pronged plan to eliminate video playback problems","author":"NCCT","date":"May 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"NEW YORK CITY\u2014For all of Netflix\u2019s complaints about Internet service providers harming video performance, one of the company\u2019s top technology experts is confident that the streaming company can solve most of its customers\u2019 problems. David Fullagar, Netflix\u2019s director of content delivery architecture, spoke about the company\u2019s plans Monday at the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Networking"","block_context":{"text":"Networking","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/networking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/netflix-hardware-640x231.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/netflix-hardware-640x231.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/netflix-hardware-640x231.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7663,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/02\/25\/google-warns-fcc-plan-could-help-isps-charge-senders-of-web-traffic\/","url_meta":{"origin":7345,"position":5},"title":"Google warns FCC plan could help ISPs charge senders of Web traffic","author":"NCCT","date":"February 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Google is warning that the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality plan could have unintended consequences that help Internet service providers charge Web services for sending traffic. 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