As long as you follow the rules of your VPN and streaming service, it’s perfectly legal to stream using VPN. A good example of a VPN that allows streaming is Surfshark: Popular streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ do their best to block VPN users. Why do they do this? Can you get in trouble if you’re caught streaming with a VPN? This article will answer all your questions about using a VPN to stream movies and shows legally.
Streaming with a VPN: The Basics
First of all, let’s address your biggest concern: in most countries, including the United States and other western nations, VPN usage is legal. Whether it’s for streaming content or simply to protect your identity, you are well within your rights to use a VPN. In many cases, companies or governments even recommend using a VPN to secure your connection. However, when streaming movies or series with a VPN, here are a few things to consider: Let’s have a closer look at all these aspects below.
Where is Streaming with a VPN Legal?
Some countries ban the use of VPNs in general. This includes China, North Korea, Russia, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Uganda, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela, to mention a few. Using a VPN to stream content in any of these places, you could face serious penalties such as fines or prosecution. Check out this article for complete details about countries where VPN use is illegal. Usually, countries that prohibit VPNs tend to have strict authoritarian governments that want to prevent citizens from bypassing censorship and surveillance. Therefore, we advise you to be very careful if you’re considering using a VPN in one of these countries because you could face serious repercussions.
Is it Legal to Download Content with a VPN?
It’s crucial to know that illegal activities remain illegal even if you use a VPN. This includes downloading unauthorized torrents of movies, series, music, games, and software. Although this is popular across the world, it is prohibited in most countries. According to European law, it’s illegal to download a file without permission from the person or company that owns the copyrights of the material. Moreover, it’s also illegal to stream most series and movies on free platforms such as Popcorn Time, PrimeWire, and Kodi. Keep in mind that each country has its own specific laws, so always ensure you’re aware of those. Even when using a VPN, you are subject to fines and legislation for unlawful downloads. Although a VPN makes it more difficult for governments and others to track your online movements, it does not exempt your actions from the law. Therefore, always think carefully before you decide to download and watch a film or series. In most cases, you can find your entertainment in a legal way by using a streaming service such as Netflix or Disney Plus. However, bear in mind that these don’t always work with a VPN.
Is it Legal to Use a VPN to Watch Geo-blocked Content?
In many cases, VPNs can bypass the geo-blocks put up by streaming services. For example, Hulu and Peacock only work in the US. But if you subscribe, you can use a VPN to watch them almost anywhere in the world. Simply choose an American VPN server, and you’ll have access to all movies, series, and broadcasts available on the platform in the USA. This is perfectly legal, but it might breach the terms of use of the streaming service. As soon as you subscribe to a streaming service such as Netflix, you agree to its terms of use. These terms of use often prohibit the use of VPN services to access content that’s restricted by geography. If you’re detected using a VPN, you may get blocked by the streaming service. This is equally true no matter which country you’re in. You can stream Israeli TV shows with a VPN all you like — as long as it’s not made prohibited by the particular platform you’re using.
Why do streaming services like Netflix block VPNs?
Although it’s legal to stream with a VPN, many streaming services actively oppose it to maintain the geographical barriers of their content. This is because, for certain movies and shows, a streaming service might only have broadcasting rights within certain countries. That’s why the American version of Netflix offers more shows and movies than, for instance, German Netflix. Streaming services use technology that can detect when you’re using a VPN or proxy. When this happens, you might see an error message as shown below:
If you turn off your VPN, you’ll instantly have access again, but only to the content of the country where you’re currently located. This way, Netflix and other services make it difficult for viewers to access geo-blocked movies and shows. However, the right VPN service can help you bypass this and stream geo-blocked content, as explained below.
How to watch Netflix with a VPN
Some VPN providers can actively bypass VPN blocks on Netflix and other streaming platforms by constantly using new IP addresses. This can help you access geo-blocked shows and movies. A good example is Surfshark. With this provider, all you have to do is choose a VPN server from the country where the content is available, and head over to the streaming service to watch it. Of course, you need a subscription to the streaming service, too. Want to give Surfshark a try? Click the button in the banner below. Then take a look at this step-by-step guide to find out how to watch Netflix via a VPN. Other VPN providers take different approaches to bypass VPN blocks. For instance, you might have to connect to a special streaming server or use a dedicated IP address. As a result, the steps you need to take to access Netflix vary depending on the VPN provider you choose.
What Happens if You’re Caught Streaming with a VPN?
As long as you are in a country where the use of VPNs is legal, you won’t be penalized for streaming geo-blocked content. The worst that can happen is that the streaming service you’re using will block you until you turn off the VPN. However, if you’re in a region where VPN usage is regulated or banned, you might face more severe consequences, like a fine (or worse). Therefore, it’s important to always be careful and read up about the local laws of the country you’re in. Also, bear in mind that illegal activities remain illegal when using a VPN. This includes downloading copyrighted content, distributing pirated content, and so on.
Watch Movies and Series with a VPN Legally
It’s legal to stream movies and series with a VPN in most countries, including the United States and other western nations. You can use VPN services to access geographically restricted shows and movies too. But keep in mind that many streaming services can detect this and might block your access until you turn off the VPN. However, if you use it to watch free streams, you don’t have to worry. For instance, you can use a VPN to watch free anime streaming services without any issues. You can even unblock Spotify anywhere in the world with a VPN.
