The contrast between US and UK Netflix offerings has tempted some people to bend the rules in pursuit of a better deal.
With nearly twice as many shows available on the American network, some Brits have tried using Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to access the larger library.
Many reported a crackdown from Netflix itself, targeting those using VPNs to watch American content, and now it seems outside parties are also making it more difficult.
PayPal, whose e-wallet is one of the payment methods available for Netflix in the UK, has begun blocking payments from a VPN provider, according to TorrentFreak.
A purported email from PayPal to VPN provider UnoTelly reads:
“Under the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy, PayPal may not be used to send or receive payments for items that infringe or violate any copyright, trademark, right of publicity or privacy, or any other proprietary right under the laws of any jurisdiction.”
While there is no direct mention of Netflix, UnoTelly’s blog mentions the ability for users to access additional Netflix channels from across the world.
At the time of writing, there have been no further reports of similar actions against other VPN providers. UnoTelly itself has issued a statement in response to PayPal’s actions, urging users to pay via credit card rather than PayPal.
