Netflix won’t block movies and shows for deployed US troops

Not too long ago, We Are The Mighty listed the awesome movies and television U.S. troops would not be able to watch on Netflix while deployed due to the streaming company's decision to actively enforce its ban on users who access the site via Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs.

Because of restrictions in licensing certain content to certain countries, Netflix has to block users who attempt to access its U.S. servers while overseas. Netflix would even ban users who attempt to circumvent its geographic restrictions. This included U.S. troops who deploy all over the world but still watch streaming content from the good old U.S. of A. Understandably, they were very upset, as Netflix can give troops the feeling of being at home (at least for 22 minutes an episode), but that's not the end of the story.

Netflix wants to remind U.S. troops that cheap, online, streaming content exists in the Land of the Free because of the brave. It exempts military bases from the geo-restriction policy and, according to Netflix, always has.

"Netflix always exempts U.S. military bases around the world," Anne Marie Squeo, a spokeswoman for Netflix, told Stars and Stripes. "They will still be able to access the U.S. catalog."

Certainly good news for everyone on base, but many troops overseas live off-base. Those troops will have to suck it up and accept the catalog of the country in which they live. It is important to note that while Netflix has a catalog in 192 of Earth's 196 countries, some catalogs are more diverse and expansive than others.

The service is not yet available in China, probably due to the Chinese government's myriad restrictions on media. Syria, North Korea, and the Crimean Peninsula do not get Netflix service because they are currently facing U.S. government sanctions. That's too bad because North Korean cinema is really, really something else.

The company says it will spend $5 billion in the next year in hopes that eventually all its content will be available to all its subscribers, regardless of location.