There’s really no denying the beauty of Netflix; at a moment's notice, one can have all the films and TV they could ever desire right at their fingertips. Well, at least depending on where one lives. The availability of specific Netflix content can vary from region to region, which has led to many users implementing digital tools in order to get the content they want. Netflix has caught on to this practice, and it seems they will begin to crack down on such activity.
The powerhouse streaming service has just issued a statement saying that they will begin to take measures to combat the habits of those who use proxies, or “unblockers.” Without getting too immersed into technical jargon, this essentially means that people located outside of specific geographic regions – most notably the United States – can use these tools to access content that would not normally be available. Netflix will soon begin to utilize new technology that can detect these “unblockers” and nullify their effect, making it so that a person can once again only access content in their specific country.
What many people don’t fully understand is the fact that the reason Netflix offers different content in different countries is that copyrighted content tends to be licensed geographically. Netflix continues to work towards making all of their content available in a universal fashion, but until that day comes, they have to abide by the rules and keep maintain this somewhat antiquated practice. However, Netflix has made immense strides in their efforts to bring their services to more people all around the world; it was only recently announced that Netflix had expanded their rich to become accessible in 190 countries all around the globe. They assert that they ultimately want to be able to provide universal content to subscribers all over the world – regardless of specific geography – and while they continue to progress towards that goal, it’s still quite a long way off for them.
Does this mean anything will change? No one can really say for sure. As soon as Netflix implements new strategies to police their services, then ne’er-do-wells all around the world will find different ways to get around the newly implemented strategies. It kind of reminds me of what Jim Gordon said at the end of Batman Begins with regards to escalation between cops and criminals – but that’s neither here nor there. The point is: if you live in a geographically remote area of the world and utilize proxies to access Netflix content, then your days are numbered, and the service is taking measures to put an end to it.
