It assumes – often correctly – that the IP belongs to a VPN server. But when Netflix notices many different accounts with the same IP, that indicates something fishier. Many households share a Netflix account with all members, some of whom may stream at the same time. It’s normal for there to be a few instances of the same IP at the same time. Netflix keeps track of the IPs that access it. And when many users access the same streaming sites, there’s bound to be IP overlap. VPN servers have a finite amount of IP addresses to distribute. But you’re not the only one who’s used (or is using) that IP. When you connect to a VPN, you’re given an IP address from your location of choice. So it and many other streaming sites have responded by blocking VPNs. If there are too many violations, the company could lose its content licenses. This, of course, is bad news for Netflix’s licensing agreements. Our American abroad could simply connect to a VPN, pick a United States server and get back to watching the Office. Just pick a new country or city and voila! To the rest of the internet, it’s as if you’re really there. It’s the country you’re in – your IP address – that matters, not your nationality.Īnd a VPN is perhaps the best way to change your IP address.

If you’re an American visiting the UK, you won’t be able to access US Netflix from your London hotel.

But geo-restrictions claim travelers as collateral damage. If Netflix doesn’t agree to and enforce geo-restrictions, it loses the right to offer much of its content. But in other countries, potential viewers will still need to purchase the movie through other, more profitable means. By limiting a movie to, say, US Netflix, a distributor benefits from the massive audience of American Netflix users. Netflix increases exposure but decreases profits, a fact which can be utilized strategically. Geo-restrictions allow content owners to control the market for their media.

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