Asking yourself why Netflix is blocking my VPN? It is not a rare case. Netflix can deny access while you try to use it with a VPN. There are lots of reasons behind this. But the main fact is Netflix is not built to go with VPNs. There are some conditions and policies that prevent Netflix from opening with an active VPN connection.
For quality video streaming, Netflix is one of the best platforms. Everyone loves their unique content. But the problem is Netflix is a geo-blocked platform. The contents for one country can vary from other countries. It is the main reason for Netflix being blocked. There are some other reasons too. So today we will talk about all the possible reasons for Netflix blocking VPNs.
Why Is Netflix Blocking My VPN? Common Issues
If you didn’t know recently Netflix has started a new age of crackdowns on VPN users. They do not want you to use VPNs with Netflix because of geo-restrictions and licensing issues. So when you use VPN, you normally bypass the geo-restrictions that Netflix enforces. Let me explain by an example.
Suppose you are in India and you chose a VPN server from the USA. This way you can stream the contents that should only be consumed by USA customers. But you are still using the same Indian license and ID. It is obviously against the Netflix user policy. In the last few years, Netflix didn’t show that much concern about it. I mean Netflix worked pretty well with VPNs.
But now the crackdown policy has changed. Netflix does not want you to watch videos that are not made for your region. If you are on a VPN, you can say Netflix is kind of anti-VPN. Through VPN Netflix will only serve you the original title contents. No unique content will be allowed.
Can you get banned for using VPN in Netflix?
Yes, Netflix can ban your ID for using VPN. Although the ID banning case is rare it can happen. A lot of people took it offensively. They think it is violating their privacy rights. For another group of people, it is annoying. Because they cannot watch their favorite content after paying the same amount of money.
Yes, Netflix can ban your ID for using VPN. Although the ID banning case is rare it can happen. A lot of people took it offensively. They think it is violating their privacy rights. For another group of people, it is annoying. Because they cannot watch their favorite content after paying the same amount of money.
That’s why many of them want to cancel their Netflix subscription as well as VPN subscription. It is very inconvenient for them. The argument is if Netflix were really serious then why wouldn’t it follow what iTunes does. iTunes requires a credit card with a billing address in that country. It would be the most effective way.
Netflix is the globally dominant live streaming platform. So no one expected this type of sudden initiative. Netflix is currently available in almost 190 countries. Covering new countries can be another reason for this new anti-VPN rule. The logic behind saying this is convincing.
Probably they want to bring the twists slowly. Because they have so many superhit contents. They can present them sequentially to the new viewers. The hit shows never came at a time. Hopefully, you have understood their motive which is reasonable.
How do I stop Netflix from blocking VPN?
Whenever a new show hits on Netflix, the world instantly notices that. The gossip and talks go on social media. That spread all over the world. So they can not provide different services in different countries. People will definitely not like it after spending money on subscriptions.
So technically region windowing is soon to be extinct. You just have to wait patiently. You can also try some quick fixing tricks to make it work. First of all, you have to ensure that you are using a good paid VPN. That one should have the ability to bypass Netflix country lock. Like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, ProtonVPN, SurfShark and many more others.
Troubleshoot your VPN
To find out how to solve the Netflix proxy errors, you need to start with troubleshooting. So if you got a Netflix proxy error message, or can’t find the shows that are supposed to appear in your library, you should check whether your IP has really changed or not. Checking IP is easy. Just Google, what’s my IP.
In case it hasn’t changed when you turned VPN on, then the VPN is not connecting properly. It is infrequent but can happen. To fix this issue, you have to turn VPN off. Then turn it on after a while. It will most likely be fixed.
Check for updates
If that doesn’t fix your problem, you might be using an older version of the VPN app. Netflix learns to block VPN from time to time. So you should always stay up-to-date with your VPN app. Now when your IP changes and the VPN app is updated Netflix should work perfectly.
Change the server
Still not working? You might have connected to a server that got banned by Netflix. To fix it, you need to switch to another server in the same country. As soon as you find a server that works, save it to favorites. It will help to connect fast. The problem can also occur for protocol issues. So you can try after switching protocols. OpenVPN TCP or the newer and faster lightweight can solve your problem.
Temporarily disable the antivirus
You can not ignore the security software that you have installed. They like to mess with VPN. Try to connect again after disabling your running antivirus. If you fail, the last thing you can do is to contact customer support for help. Your VPN provider should have a decent customer support service.
Contact customer care
Most of the good VPNs have 24/7 live chat support. You can explain your issues by texting. The experts should solve it as soon as possible. Or you have to wait until Netflix decides to unblock VPNs.
Final Words
Definitely these days Netflix is the dominant streaming platform. Recently it has reached under developing countries as well. Although some people think blocking VPNs is against users’ privacy rights Netflix is not caring about these right now. From the developer’s point of view, it kind of makes senses why Netflix is blocking VPNs.
However, People’s main cause for purchasing a Netflix subscription is to watch their favorite shows. If that doesn’t happen people can move toward the illegal ways. You know I am talking about the torrents and others. Personally, I think this restriction will not last long. So be patient and try the above methods. Hopefully one of them will work for you.