Netflix enforces local licensing law by pledging to stamp out proxy streaming
Netflix is clamping down on subscribers who make use of proxy servers to fool the service into granting them access to content not normally available in their home countries after conceding that global licensing arrangements would be a long time in coming.
The fast growing streaming service now operates in 130 countries, many with different licensing arrangements for films and TV shows, encouraging some users to use a virtual private network (VPN) or other proxy to circumvent these limitations.
Australian subscribers for instance must make do with a mere 10 per cent of the content available to their cousins in the US.
In a blog post David Fullagar, Netflix’s vice president of content delivery architecture, wrote: “If all of our content were globally available, there wouldn't be a reason for members to use proxies or 'unblockers' to fool our systems into thinking they're in a different country than they're actually in.
"In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location."
As part of the crackdown Netflix will disable access to regionally locked content in the coming week.