Netflix subscribers in South Africa who have been using unblocking tools to access the streaming service’s US catalogue reported that they have been cut off.
When trying to play a movie or episode from a series, subscribers receive the error message: “You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again.”
User feedback suggests that not all platforms are affected, with UnoTelly users able to access Netflix US from certain devices.
However, UnoTelly subscribers trying to stream through the Netflix website, the Windows 10 app, and some smart TV apps were reportedly getting the error.
It is unclear why unblockers continue to work on some platforms and not others, but it seems as though Netflix apps that weren’t recently updated still work.
UnoTelly was asked for comment, but did not respond by the time of publication.
Netflix’s VPN and unblocker crackdown
Reports that Netflix is preventing subscribers that use unblockers or proxies from accessing its service comes after the company announced a crackdown earlier this year.
“In coming weeks, those using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country where they currently are,” said Netflix.
Netflix admitted that if all its content were globally available, there wouldn’t be a need for members to use proxies or unblockers to fool its systems into thinking they are in a different country.
“For now, given the historic practice of licensing content by geographic territories, the TV shows and movies we offer differ, to varying degrees, by territory.”
“In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location.”
More on Netflix and UnoTelly
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