Netflix has said subscribers to its video-streaming service will no longer be able to use proxies to watch content not available in the users’ home countries.
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Netflix introduced its service to more than 130 new countries last week, extending its reach everywhere but China and three territories where US law forbids the company from operating.
Public relations junior executive Ms Claire Chen, 21, who has been accessing Netflix’s United States content for the past three years using a VPN (virtual private connection), says that “there is no point” in subscribing to the Singapore service if it does not contain her favourite shows.
David Fullagar, the vice-president of the content delivery architecture of Netflix, said that the company is focusing on its goal to make its contents globally available.
If you compare Netflix’s offering in the U.S. (almost 6000 TV shows and movies) with other countries, Denmark (2100), Poland (760) or South Korea (660), you will notice big disparities between them.
“Some members use proxies or “unblockers” to access titles available outside their territory”. It got license to show content for selective geographies from the content owners, and it is the responsibility of the firm to enforce those restrictions. Many Netflix users use a proxy app like VPN Unlimited to spoof the location of their device, especially to gain access to the huge USA catalog from elsewhere. In fact, within 24 hours of the Netflix global launch, my inbox filled up quickly with press releases promoting VPN solutions that would enable subscribers to (legally, they claimed) access all Netflix content. Netflix Australia offers only about 10 percent of the content on Netflix US.
That sort of unfettered access may soon come to an end though, says Netflix itself. Unfortunately, not all of Netflix’s content is available in every country.
If Netflix were to decide to capitulate completely to the licensers – which is effectively a suicidal leap for the company – it would surely change its “multiple users” feature, whereby for a few dollars more you can donate logins to your friends and family – or anyone you like.
“This technology continues to evolve and we are evolving with it”, Fullagar wrote in his post. Same is the case if you are accessing Netflix anywhere outside of US.
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How serious is Netflix about shepherding us back to our own countries?
