In its pursuit of geo-blocking users, Netflix is blocking VPN and proxy users for a while. Now, it’s barring Residential IP users too. But, it’s seen the platform is accidentally blocking legitimate users and now working to resolve this.
Netflix Blocks Residential IP Addresses
Content blocking based on geography is common in any streaming service. This is because various copyright holders don’t want their content to be shown to other regional users. Thus, users denied this setting often try to bypass this restriction by using third-party services like VPNs or proxies to stream the blocked content anyway. Realizing this practice six years ago, Netflix started blocking its subscribers who use VPN or proxy. This led many to use other tools like residential IP addresses, which are more effective in these cases. In addition, residential IP addresses are allotted to regular telecom users, thus seem more legit and easy to bypass restrictions.
But now, as Netflix finds out about this case, it also started blocking residential IP addresses! But, this is so far producing disturbing results to legitimate users, as Netflix is accidentally blocking them too, thinking as proxy users. As seen by TorrentFreak on Reddit (1,2,3), several users complain about missing content while browsing their Netflix library, even though they’re not using any VPN or proxy service. As the complaints are growing, Netflix spokesperson informed TorrentFreak that it’s not banning all content for VPN and proxy services and is now working with people who were accidentally affected by this practice to resolve the issue. While it may take a while, one feasible solution until then is to contact your ISP and ask them if the allotted IP address is in any way associated with a proxy or VPN use in the past (and present). If yes, ask them to assign a new IP address that’s clean from this mess.
