How do I use a VPN with Netflix?

Is it legal to use a VPN with Netflix?

For years I have been on board with people who recommend using a VPN service. If you have Netflix, then you know that the service is completely useless in places like China and Russia. If you're on a VPN, then your IP address changes to a local IP address and you can watch Netflix no problem.

It turns out, that's not quite true. If you're watching a video while connected to a VPN, you should know that streaming content is generally illegal in those places where you're not also using a local IP address. Even if you're not using a VPN, you might be still breaking laws if you're accessing content from an IP address in those countries.

Let's quickly go over some of the ways you can access the Netflix library without breaking the law: If you're in China and you're using a VPN service, there is a good chance that you're accessing content from a server that's physically located in the United States. Even if you're not using a VPN, you can still get Netflix content. There are other countries that will allow the use of VPNs to access Netflix even though it's not legal there. Let's go through the rules for each of these.

China - Legal or not? The truth is, most likely, it's not legal to use a VPN in China. The government claims that VPN use is illegal. However, they've been known to turn a blind eye to VPNs used for things like accessing YouTube or accessing websites that are blocked in the country. This isn't an absolute right; we'll cover how to get around that in a bit. It's still probably a bad idea to use a VPN if you live in China because they just make life easier for the government.

Still, even if you're using a VPN to access content from a server in the US, this doesn't necessarily make it legal. The reason is, Netflix doesn't have an agreement with ISPs in the United States. Because of this, Netflix uses a system where they pay ISPs to direct traffic from certain IP addresses to their servers.