We have all experienced it. You’re using a VPN to watch a show exclusively available in another country. Then, suddenly. Boom – You seem to be using a VPN or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again. Error code m7111-5059.
What gives? It was fine a second ago. Just as you were about to finish the last episode of Deadpool, too. Bummer.
A VPN has (historically) let people watch region-locked Netflix content that is usually unavailable to them. But Netflix wants this to stop. And they’re doing a pretty good job at making sure it does.
Why does Netflix want to stop VPNs?
Netflix wants to block people that use VPNs. This is so they can’t access region-specific content. Why? It all boils down to the company’s copyright policies.
If Netflix only offers a show to the US, this means they don’t have permission to broadcast it in Australia or Europe. If someone uses a VPN to watch a region-locked show, Netflix is in violation of its agreement.
This means Netflix has spent a lot of money to put a stop to VPN usage. If the streaming platform detects anyone using a VPN it will throw up the infamous m7111 error and temporarily block users from the server.
This all seems pretty cut and dry but the issue is actually quite complicated. To explain, we should head back to the beginning.
Where did it all start?
Netflix has spent the best part of a decade at war with VPNs. It began cracking down in 2016 before beefing up its attack in 2021.
Obviously, this wasn’t easy for the tech giant. VPNs work by disguising IP addresses as the local IP addresses of a person who lives in the country the user is trying to access.
This meant that, as Netflix cracked down on these in-disguise IPs, many blameless residential users were caught in the crossfire and banned by mistake. Ouch – not the best start.
Netflix’s VPN detection protocols have improved dramatically since those early days. They’ve now put an end to many popular solutions.
This is largely because VPN providers have a limited number of residential IP addresses, meaning that, once Netflix discovers these IPs, they can block the service outright.
Even the biggest VPNs like Surfshark are under constant threat. As you might expect, this has left a lot of people feeling particularly frustrated.
How does this impact users?
Naturally, people aren’t happy about the attempt to block VPNs. Netflix seemingly believes that everyone with a VPN is only intent on accessing geo-restricted content, but this usually isn’t the case.
Many people use VPNs for security purposes – shocker! Therefore, by implementing restrictions to block users from accessing geo-restricted content, Netflix is actually contributing to a bigger problem with digital safety. Using a bandaid to patch a leaky ship comes to mind.
We’ve seen lots of petitions pop up over the years in an attempt to combat this. None have been successful. This leaves it up to the VPNs themselves to find a solution to Netflix’s efforts.
Are VPNs fighting back?
The current Netflix-VPN landscape is like a war of attrition.
Netflix updates its detection systems. The VPNs find a workaround. The cycle repeats with both sides hoping the other will eventually lose resolve and give up.
Many of the premium VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN are doing a good job at bypassing Netflix’s restrictions. It’s too early to tell whether this will last. Netflix is undeniably aware of these companies and will likely have no problem forking out money to combat them in the coming years.
Therefore, the primary problem we’re seeing is that, while some VPNs might let you access geo-restricted content occasionally, you can rarely rely upon them every single time. This unreliability is a major source of frustration and we can only expect the problem to worsen over time as Netflix’s algorithms become more sophisticated.
Is there an alternative?
One interesting development is the rise of decentralized VPNs or dVPNs. This tech uses peer-to-peer networks of independent computers rather than passing through the servers of a single company.
As there’s no single server controlling the VPN, there is no predefined list of IPs that Netflix can uncover and block. All traffic looks exactly like residential IP addresses, making it almost impossible for Netflix to crack down on users accessing geo-restricted content.
A look into the future
Ultimately, it’s hard to predict that Netflix will ever succeed in blocking VPNs in their entirety. There are simply too many variables. It seems more likely that Netflix’s goal is simply to make using a VPN annoying enough that people won’t bother using it.
But we’re particularly happy to see solutions like dVPNs gaining traction. These services are still growing in popularity, but we’ve already seen a noticeable difference. They simply can’t be tracked like a regular VPN can. If you want a permanent fix to finally catch up on Call the Midwife, this seems to be the best way forward.
