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Netflix has stepped up its efforts to prohibit VPN and proxy users from circumventing geo-restrictions. The streaming service is now blocking residential IP addresses as well, as some unblocking tools use them to bypass the restrictions. This is not without collateral damage, as many regular internet users without a VPN now report "missing content" on Netflix.
Six years ago, Netflix started blocking customers who tried to access your service through a commercial VPN or proxy service.
These changes came after the copyright holders complained repeatedly that the 'hackers' were circumventing Netflix's geographic restrictions.
The VPN ban caused a lot of frustration for legitimate VPN users, many of whom had no intention of breaking any rules. At the same time, VPN 'hackers' found solutions by choosing services that actively circumvent Netflix's restrictions.
Bypass restrictions
There are several ways that VPN services have managed to bypass these blocking efforts. Most keep technical details private, but some are commonly known to use residential IP addresses as a proxy, to make it appear that VPN users are regular ISP subscribers.
This cat and mouse game has caused quite a bit of frustration at Netflix headquarters, and in recent days the company appears to have stepped up its blocking measures.
There are a number of complaints on social media from users whose VPN services were suddenly 'blocked' by Netflix. Previously, these people couldn't play any content while using a VPN. That changed last year. Now VPN users can still watch Netflix originals while other content is hidden and blocked.
People trying to access blocked titles directly through a saved URL will see the dreaded proxy / VPN error message instead of.
Netflix bans residential IP addresses
Netflix doesn't explain which IP addresses are blocked and why, but the latest efforts are much broader than before. This topic caught our attention by WeVPN, you noticed that the updated geofence system is blocking your residential IP addresses.
These IP addresses are assigned to common consumer ISPs like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon. While it makes sense for Netflix to end these fixes, there appears to be some collateral damage.
"The collateral damage is that you have hundreds of thousands of legitimate residential Netflix subscribers blocked from accessing Netflix's full home country catalog from home," a WeVPN spokesperson informs us.
While we cannot verify how many people are facing problems, it is clear that the measures are being extended to regular subscribers.
Complaints start to come in
TorrentFreak reached out to Netflix for comment, but the company did not immediately respond. However, a quick look at social media shows a disturbing number of Netflix subscribers who have no "missing" content, which is exactly what would happen when an IP address is dialed.
"Hi! I noticed that my account does not show anything but Netflix originals and a handful of non-Netflix original content on my TV, but on my phone, it shows everything as usual / normal" Reddit user literary fact observed.
“I don't know what happened, but Netflix suddenly stopped showing the TV shows I was watching when my laptop is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi. shows the same TV shows when my laptop is connected to the internet through a mobile data access point ", someone else wrote, with a commenter reporting the same issue.
In just the last 24 hours, there were multiple reports from the people who are suffering "missing title"issues. None of these seem to use a VPN.
The common theme is that Netflix only shows Netflix originals on your IP address, which is expected when it's marked as VPN or proxy. A Redditor managed to get a new IP address from his ISP, which immediately solved the problem.
"Contact your ISP ..."
While Netflix has not released an official comment on the situation, the company is aware of the issues.
A user who complained On twitter, you received the advice to contact your ISP to see if your IP address is associated with the use of proxy or VPN. This is a peculiar suggestion, as the lock is taking place at the end of Netflix.
We don't know how widespread the problem is, but based on the number of complaints we've seen so far, it's certainly not an isolated problem. That raises the question of whether VPN ban measures are worth the collateral damage.
Netflix has every right to take action against people who circumvent its restrictions, but when this hurts paying customers who don't use a VPN, it may not be the best solution.
Meanwhile, VPNs are taking countermeasures to make sure their customers can access Netflix without restrictions.
WeVPN told us that the company is experimenting with a solution, which appears to work for now. CyberGhost Y Private internet access, which were also affected by the new Netflix blocks, they say they managed to get around it in one day.
Update: A Netflix spokesperson informed us that the company does not ban all content from the VPN and proxy services. Netflix originals are still available, as we mentioned. The streaming service is working with people who were inadvertently affected to restore access to the entire library.
