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Restricting content to certain parts of the world always seems like a bizarre choice for media companies. In the hope of securing licensing deals in different continents for the same content, they limit where in the world it can be viewed, leaving those that want to watch it two options: use a VPN to still pay for it, or download it illegally. According to many media lobby groups and ISPs though, that's one and the same thing, which is perhaps why the head of Canadian ISP Bell Media, Mary Ann Turcke, described her 15 year old daughter as a content burglar.
Turcke made this announcement during a recent speech at the Canadian Telecom Summit, where she told a story of how her daughter announced that she knew how to get more content on Netflix by using a VPN.
“She is 15 and she was stealing,” Turcke said to the audience. “Suffice to say, there is no more VPNing.”
As TorrentFreak points out, this has become a major strategy of media groups and lobby organisations, painting the use of a VPN to view other content available to customers paying the same (or often less) money for services like Netflix, as theft. While you could argue that point, it seems more to be an attempt to force companies like Netflix to do more about VPN usage, by painting it as legitimate criminal activity rather than just something that's frowned upon.
There's a genuine person with a genuine smile if ever we saw one
Bizarrely though, Turcke takes the tack that society is changing and even suggests that it's become a faux pas to admit that you use a VPN.
“It has to become socially unacceptable to admit to another human being that you are VPNing into U.S. Netflix. Like throwing garbage out of your car window, you just don’t do it. We have to get engaged and tell people they’re stealing,” she said.
In reality, many analysts have likened the idea to crossing an international border to take advantage of overseas pricing, or buying something from a duty-free zone at the airport. It's just a method of exploiting loopholes to take advantage of better deals elsewhere – there's nothing illegal about it. It is infringing on Netflix's own Terms of Use, but pinning down the location of someone using a VPN is, by its very nature, rather difficult.
Despite that, Turcke lays the blame at Netflix's feet, suggesting that it needs to do more to combat VPN “pirates.”
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KitGuru Says: Although I know why companies don't want people using VPNs to watch overseas content, if that content was available for purchase, people would. They're clearly willing to pay money for a Netflix account and a VPN, just put the products on sale somehow and people will buy them. Is it really that complicated?
Image source: Bell Media
Backwards thinking is the way to go it seems. It’s simple, if you don’t want people to do it give them an offer that will prevent them from doing it. Supply and demand – the way economy works for the last few hundred centuries.
for someone who owns a large business she is fucking stupid
It’s ridiculous that these companies think they can maintain borders, regions and restrictions in the digital age. They need to grow up and fix their last-century attitudes. If content is available in one region of the world, those in other regions will look for a way to obtain it. The content creators can either facilitate that, or they can leave it in the hands of VPN owners or pirates. Do they really expect people to be aware of content and just sit and wait in the hope that it will eventually make its way to their region? Some things never reach every region, so are we just supposed to shrug and say ‘oh well’ and move on?
So basically “theft” means whatever the media industry wants it to mean, I guess. If you’re using a VPN, the worst they could do really is close your account for being in breach of their terms.
Otherwise this woman would have presumably had her daughter prosecuted, right? The dirty, wretched thief.
Finally the word “theft” is coming unstuck in regards to media. For a long time, anti-piracy folk called it theft, erroneously, and now they’re suggesting using a VPN is theft.
Really, the real theft is happening to the people “legitimately” buying all their content at the inflated prices.
do i have to give up on humanity again? its happened atleast twice so far this week.
what made you regain faith then?
I simply forgot why i gave up the first time. :/
I’d divorce her.
All that does is shows she’s not just professionally stupid, but she’s a bad mother too.
Telling the world that your daughter is a thief isn’t exactly a great didactic strategy, especially when even the briefest examination shows that that’s a grave misuse of the word and you’re politically/financially motivated for the accusation.
I like the related items…
Particularly “media groups want VPNs banned from Netflix” / “Netflix wants to get rid of geographical restrictions”
Using a VPN for internet freedom is not a crime i think we should not consider it illegal. I am using VPN since a long and never did anything wrong as its just for accessing blocked content in my region.
wow! just like saying guns kill people, or vehicle manufacturers want there cars stolen becouse the locks they put in there cars can be picked…….someone has to learn to do the bad thats being done. you have to learn to aim and shoot the gun for it to kill. you have to know how to pick the lock and how to hotwire the vehicle for it to get stolen. for this isp owner to say that the content provider is responsible for the wrong doing of a few who have learned to beat the system, is like an isp owner being responsible for all the illegal network traffic that they have on there networks….. grow up and learn that it always boils down to the individual…. even atrocity’s that kill billions can be started by just one individuals idea…… don’t believe me hitler, osamma bin ladden, charels manson, David Koresh, stallin, need i go on?
Boobs.
One does simply regain faith on breasts alone.