Netflix to cut VPN access to U.S. accounts

The Army assigned my family and me to Korea in April 2013. We've spent almost three straight years overseas.

While I like Korea, there are definitely things that I miss about living in the U.S. I miss watching NFL games on Sunday afternoons. I miss the variety of American restaurants (a lot don't have a presence here). And I miss being able to understand the majority of conversations going on around me.

I also miss the benefits that come from just being in the U.S. -- don't want to buy a song online? Get it from Spotify. Want to cook something you can't find in your neighborhood? Amazon two day delivery. Want to watch every possible Hollywood movie? The multiplex has all of them, and if you couldn't make it, there's Redbox.

Being a service member's easier than being an English teacher -- the APO address gets you domestic shipping rates, the on-post gas station is way cheaper, and the commissary has the food you're used to. Plus there's the AFN channel so you can stay connected with pop culture.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) help bridge the gap, too -- VPNs essentially "fool" content providers into thinking you're in the U.S., bypassing the regional licensing restrictions that prevent overseas audiences from seeing U.S. programs. So even if AFN didn't play your favorite show, VPNs allow you to get it from Netflix or Hulu or whatever. And you don't miss out on the best SNL skits embedded into on-line reviews.

Netflix is changing that.

According to this Australian article, Netflix will be "cutting off VPN users from accessing content from its international catalogues." [Source]

Netflix's decision will, of course, affect service member's ability to access American television series, and will probably lead to a lot of cancellations. I, for one, am not interested in paying to watch what Netflix licenses in South Korea -- Netflix's U.S. content will always offer greater wider variety.

Sadly, I'll probably just cancel my account -- if I can't access the Netflix content that I've been paying for (up to this point), then why bother?