There was a time when Netflix didn’t really care if you used a VPN to access another region’s catalog. You could be a subscriber based in the United Kingdom and yet regularly access the U.S. catalog which is arguably the best if you’re looking for the most amount of content. Soon after it announced an expansion to almost every country on the planet Netflix said that it’s going to start blocking VPN users and will redirect them to their regional site instead. It has confirmed that this doesn’t apply to U.S. military bases overseas.
Blocking of VPN users was a surprise move by Netflix particularly because the announcement was made merely days after it said that it couldn’t do much to stop those users from bypassing geo-restrictions. Its content partners have been pushing it to clamp down on these users and now Netflix is seriously doing this.
Military personnel stationed at bases overseas often use VPNs to access the U.S. version of Netflix and there’s no reason for them to worry. Except those who live off-base, all personnel on the country’s military bases across the globe will be able to access the U.S. catalog on Netflix through a VPN.
“Netflix always exempts U.S. military bases around the world. They will still be able to access the U.S. catalog,” confirmed Netflix spokesperson Anne Marie Squeo.
Nevertheless this will remain a problem for military personnel who are off-base since the restriction will apply to them. VPN providers, many of whom have been selling their services on the premise of enabling customers to access U.S. Netflix catalog, are already trying to come up with ways to bypass this new restriction. Netflix can keep on blocking IP-addresses and they can keep on adding more. It’s going to be a cat and mouse game for years to come.
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