With Netflix’s Banning of VPNs and Proxies, Piracy is Now Back on the Rise

Netflix used to talk pretty openly about how piracy data was directly affecting what shows and movies they would order for their streaming library. The service, making it easier than ever to stream thousands of movies and TV shows, clearly had a case when it would argue that regions where Netflix was available saw massive decreases in piracy.

It makes sense, right, that if for a nominal price users can get access to their entertainment, there isn’t much need to pirate anymore.

But Netflix’s song has changed as of late, and while we’re sure this is pressure coming from content owners as Netflix expands globally, it still has greatly affected access to the streaming service library. Netflix has always on the surface been opposed to the use of VPNs but this always seemed more like lip service. Recently though, Netflix has come down extremely hard on proxy services, making it nearly impossible, with the exception being the technically proficient, to access libraries outside of users’ home regions.

In other words, users in Canada, who have about 2/3rds the total titles compared to the US, aren’t able to quickly VPN into the US library anymore. Same goes for most countries trying to access another region’s library.

All is fair here, we suppose, as Netflix needs to protect its relationships with content owners. In order for Netflix to keep getting content at an affordable price, a growing challenge, the service must crack down on VPN usage. We might not like it, but we get it.

So what of course has been the biggest change since this crackdown began? Piracy has once again started spiking on films and TV shows that users once used to be able to stream via Netflix.

As Sophia Harris at CBC is reporting, Canadians are flocking back to their previous ways for content consumption. An excerpt from Harris’ article below:

Disgruntled Netflix customers now exploring piracy include Suzan Lorenz in Toronto.

“I think I might be saying goodbye to Netflix and go the truly illegal route,” she tells CBC News.

For about a year, Lorenz subscribed to Netflix Canada, but her family freely accessed the streaming service’s shows from across the globe.

Her three children like to watch the forensics investigation series, CSI. Lorenz enjoys European crime dramas like the original Swedish version of Wallander. These TV series can be found in Netflix’s U.S. library but are technically not available to Canadian customers.

How about you? Have you considered cancelling your Netflix subscription ever since they started cracking down on VPN and proxy connections? Let us know in the comments.