Netflix – Picture: Getty Images
Over the years, we’ve seen growing reports of some Netflixers only being able to see Netflix Original shows and not the full library in their region. If this happens to you, here’s why and how you can stop it.
The problems seem to stem from Netflix’s changes made over the years to tackle VPN usage. Before, Netflix would tackle VPNs by showing you the library of the country you’re trying to jump onto but block you from actually watching. Now, the app simply shows titles to which Netflix has the global rights which naturally slims down the library considerably.
You can see a myriad of reports on the likes of Reddit, Twitter, and even blogs covering the issue. CanadaVPNs wrote a report on the issue, saying that some residential IP users (those not using a proxy or VPN) have been caught in the crossfire.
One additional way to tell if Netflix thinks you’re a VPN will be some of the user avatars will default back to the smile faces, removing any region-specific icons.
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We reached out to Netflix’s technical support, who told us:
“TV show and movie licensing agreements determine in which regions content is available. When using a VPN to access Netflix, your region is hidden, so Netflix displays content that is available to all regions globally.”
What if you’re not using a VPN, though as some of the reports we cited earlier suggest? Well, Netflix is aware of the problem. One rep told us:
“There have been reports from other customers experiencing the same thing. Our engineers are already aware and are investigating this issue to get it back on track.
You may try it again at a later time and if you still get the same issue, rest assured that our research team are working on the case and will just work right away once resolved.”
In a now-deleted support Tweet, Netflix’s Customer Service said:
“If you do not have proxies, VPNs, or other routing software but still see this message, contact your internet service provider. They’ll be able to determine why your IP address is associated with proxy or VPN use”
TorrentFreak also reported on the increasing problems and got a response from Netflix officially. Here’s what they said:
“A Netflix spokesperson informed us that the company is not banning all content for 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 full library.”
Some reports have suggested resetting the app and calling your ISP to determine whether you’re using a proxy/VPN, which is the way to go, as they can reset things from their end.
As we wrote about recently, using a VPN with Netflix, while used to be fruitful, simply isn’t worth your time, but sadly, it looks like the cat-and-mouse game between VPNs and Netflix has got some regular users caught in the crossfire.
