Home / Channel / Netflix HQ besieged by anti-VPN-blocking van advert

Netflix HQ besieged by anti-VPN-blocking van advert

In an effort to hammer home to Netflix how much it dislikes geoblocking and the streaming service's crackdown on people getting around it using virtual private networks (VPNs), pro-privacy campaigners at OpenMedia, have been driving a truck around Netflix's headquarters, protesting the move.

The van in question features a large advert along its side, saying “We [love] our privacy,” alongside the URL: defendourprivacy.org. Visiting that site takes you to a petition page which has so far racked up just shy of 50,000 signatories, demanding that Netflix halt its crackdown on VPN users.

“Blocking VPNs means innocent customers will become collateral damage: it will block VPN users from accessing domestic content they paid for, undermine privacy, and could push users to illegal alternatives,” the site claims.

openmedia

Source: OpenMedia/Twitter

It's this message that OpenMedia wants to send home to Netflix, which finds itself caught between a rock and a hard place.

It previously didn't seem too bothered with users getting around its geoblocking, after all they were customers any way, so it didn't lose much by their actions. However many major studios recently made a big push to have Netflix crack down on the circumventing tactics and the streaming service bowed to the pressure.

But that's not good enough, according to OpenMedia.

“Right now, Netflix customers are being forced to choose between watching their favourite shows and safeguarding their privacy,” OpenMedia’s digital rights specialist Laura Tribe said (via TorrentFreak).

OpenMedia even admits that it understands Netflix's position, highlighting that if it instead linked content libraries with credit card addresses, geoblocking would be far more effective. It would also allow those using VPNs to continue obfuscating their location to improve their privacy.

It will be interesting to see if Netflix is more likely to listen after the big banner campaign.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I would be surprised if Netflix bowed to pressure from adverts like this, but it's an interesting approach that certainly draws a lot of attention to the cause.

Become a Patron!

Check Also

SILENT PC BUILD – Lian Li O11 Vision UNIFAN SL Wireless Fans Build

Relax this Christmas with a special 'talk free' PC build - themed to match a snowy festive time. We hope you enjoy this one!

We've noticed that you are using an ad blocker.

Thank you for visiting KitGuru. Our news and reviews teams work hard to bring you the latest stories and finest, in-depth analysis.

We want to be as informative as possible – and to help our readers make the best buying decisions. The mechanism we use to run our business and pay some of the best journalists in the world, is advertising.

If you want to support KitGuru, then please add www.kitguru.net to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software. It really makes a difference and allows us to continue creating the kind of content you really want to read.

It is important you know that we don’t run pop ups, pop unders, audio ads, code tracking ads or anything else that would interfere with the KitGuru experience. Adblockers can actually block some of our free content, such as galleries!