Netflix denies subscriber crackdown

Video streaming giant Netflix has hit back at claims it is cracking down on subscribers who bypass regional locks to view the US version of the site.

Due to licensing laws in different countries, content on the site differs based on the viewer’s location.

At present, the US site has almost 9,000 different movies and shows, while the Irish version has around 3,400.

The site offers popular shows such as The Walking Dead, Parks and Recreation and How I Met Your Mother which are currently unavailable on the Irish Netflix.

Some Irish users have been bypassing the site’s regional restrictions using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) or custom DNS settings — changing their region to access more content illegally.

However, VPN providers said Netflix has started to clamp down on this practise.

RIP - US Netflix abroad ):

— Rodrigo (@YiyoHr) January 5, 2015

VPN provider TorGuard recently reported a surge in its users receiving blocking error messages while attempting to connect to the Netflix website.

Speaking to TorrentFreak, Ben Van der Pelt from TorGuard said the first reports of this happening began a few weeks ago.

“This is the very first time I’ve heard Netflix displaying this type of error message to VPN users.”

Despite this, Netflix are denying the crackdown, saying their VPN policies “have not changed”.

Their terms of use state content “will vary by geographic location” and that Netflix “will use technologies” to verify the location of subscribers.

In addition, it was reported Sony Pictures recently shared research with Netflix on the capabilities of VPNs and other proxy tools so the service could start to block violators.

The crackdown is thought to be related to movie studios that are unhappy with the disregard viewers are showing for their licensing agreements and are putting pressure on Netflix to punish customers who use VPNs.