EU Agrees on New Rules That Would End the Geoblocking of Online Content

Netflix users in the Europe will soon be able to stream their favorite TV shows and movies no matter where they are within the European Union.

EU officials have agreed on new rules that would help ensure the “portability” of digital content across borders, effectively eradicating geographical restrictions — at least for EU citizens traveling within the Union. Additionally, per the new rules, content providers won’t be able to impose any extra charges for the portability, according to an EU press release about the legislation.

“People who have subscribed to their favorite series, music and sports events will be able to enjoy them when they travel in Europe,” European Commissioner Andrus Ansip said. “This is a new important step in breaking down barriers in the Digital Single Market.”

The new law works like this: a citizen of an EU country like Spain would be able to use their Netflix account while vacationing in another Union nation. It’s worth noting that the Spanish subscriber in question would have access to the same TV shows and movies they would have access to in Spain, not content licensed in the country they’re currently in. Streaming services will have to verify a subscriber’s home country by way of payment information, internet contracts, or IP addresses.

The legislation mainly targets paid subscriptions services, such as Netflix. Providers of free content, such as YouTube, won’t have to abide by these rules — but they can if they choose to, according to a memo about the new law.

This new law will have a particularly interesting effect for Netflix, who currently blocks their streaming services geographically and has a ban in place on subscribers using VPNs to access geoblocked content. It’s not known if Netflix accounts with multiple users — who don’t necessarily have to reside within the same country — will differentiate its library between the account holder’s and individual users’ home countries.

Before going into effect, the legislation must be formally approved by the EU Legal Affairs Committee, as well as the Union’s Council and Parliament. If confirmed, the new law would go into effect in all EU member states at the beginning of 2018.