PayPal backs Netflix’s fight against VPNs

Electronic payments specialist PayPal has reportedly stopped processing payments to at least one virtual private network (VPN) in a move likely to help Netflix clamp down on proxy access to the SVOD service.

In a statement published on its blog last week, Canadian VPN UnoTelly claimed that PayPal has “severed payment processing agreement unilaterally and without prior warning”.

“PayPal indicated that UnoTelly is not allowed to provide services that enable open and unrestricted Internet access,” said UnoTelly, which urged its customers to switch from PayPay to credit card to continue their subscription.

“As result, UnoTelly can no longer accept payment from PayPal. This development is outside of our control, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.”

The news comes a month after Netflix said it was restricting VPN access, meaning people using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country they are in.

Netflix’s vice president of content delivery architecture, David Fullagar, said that Netflix is working to try and stop subscribers from using virtual private networks to access titles only available in different territories.

“This technology continues to evolve and we are evolving with it,” said Fullagar at the time. “We look forward to offering all of our content everywhere and to consumers being able to enjoy all of Netflix without using a proxy. That’s the goal we will keep pushing towards.”