Netflix is Cracking Down on Viewers Using VPNs and Faking Locations to Access Foreign Shows

By J. Navarra

Jan 16, 2016 10:13 PM EST

A while back, Netflix announced that it has gone global and that more countries can now access online content. To remedy that, smart viewers use a VPN to counter Netflix limitations but the company is now policing the site for viewers faking locations to access foreign shows.

Restrictions to multiple countries were applied because of licensing concerns and viewers abroad could not see all of the content uploaded to the site. To remedy this, online viewers found a way around the block by using a virtual private networks to fake their locations. For example, you want to watch a television series only available in the UK because the companies responsible for the movie have not yet ironed out the distribution and licensing kinks with Netflix. The only way to get around it is to make the site think you're from the UK by faking your location with online tools such as VPNs and proxies.

Netflix has announced that the company will be using a technology that is now being deployed to prevent proxies from being used by online viewers that want to access foreign films, documentaries, movies and television shows.

Netflix's Vice President of Content Delivery Architecture, David Fullagar issued the following statement:

We are making progress in licensing content across the world. In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location.

Looks like the work-around is going to be short-lived. Though the service is available to about 130 countries, it is not available in China. The content available to each country does not even cover all of the categories available to United States viewers. Licensing and distribution deals are still being ironed out and it may take quite a long while for everyone to see all the movies and shows. But Netflix promises that it's working on it.

A few countries that went live this week were India, Russia, Vietnam and Nigeria. In addition to opening the site to users abroad, Netflix also announced that the content is now available in Korean, Arabic and 19 more languages.