Netflix Crackdown in New Zealand Takes Hold

Netflix warned in January that people outside the United States trying to watch content on the American catalogue would find it difficult to reach the service through VPN, but it seems to have taken three months for the crackdown to really be felt in New Zealand.

Netflix recently expanded its service to 130 countries, but the news wasn't great for New Zealanders who have been paying for a subscription to the US site through a virtual private network (VPN).

VPNs allow users an anonymous way to access a site that is restricted to one location.

Kiwis are now reporting to NZ Herald that they definitely are feeling the crackdown with their VPN services no longer working. Some have gone to other VPN services but there is the fear that Netflix will continue to crack down on all of them.

One reader said he had ended his subscription to Netflix when his VPN service stopped working.

"The companies bullying Netflix to prevent access really need to get with the times. You'd think that distributors would be happy that consumers want to pay... Back to downloading TV and movies for me now," Andy wrote.

Last year, Netflix put out 450 hours of original programming, compared to 401 hours from HBO and this year, both companies say they expect to release roughly 600 hours of original material.

Netflix will test the loyalty of its long-time subscribers in the US next month when it hikes their prices 25 per cent, following a two-year freeze that kept rates at US$8 per month.

The increase will hit 17 million to 22 million US subscribers, based on analyst estimates.

Read more at NZHerald.co.nz