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Hulu cracks down on VPNs, blocks international users

Australians trying to access streaming service Hulu may find themselves blocked, with the site now locking out those streaming content via VPN.

Claire Reilly Former Principal Video Producer
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Expertise Space, Futurism, Science and Sci-Tech, Robotics, Tech Culture Credentials
  • Webby Award Winner (Best Video Host, 2021), Webby Nominee (Podcasts, 2021), Gold Telly (Documentary Series, 2021), Silver Telly (Video Writing, 2021), W3 Award (Best Host, 2020), Australian IT Journalism Awards (Best Journalist, Best News Journalist 2017)
Claire Reilly

US-based streaming service Hulu is cracking down on international users trying to access its site, putting a block on users trying to stream content via VPN.

Hulu is attempting to block access to its content from overseas. (Credit: hulu.com)

According to ="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" class="c-regularLink" target="_blank">reports from file-sharing and copyright news website TorrentFreak, Hulu quietly made the move to block VPN users from streaming content from its site last week. Those attempting to access the site through an IP address associated with some VPN providers are met with the following error message:

Based on your IP address, we noticed you are trying to access Hulu through an anonymous proxy tool. Hulu is not currently available outside the U.S. If you're in the U.S., you'll need to disable your anonymizer to access videos on Hulu.

The message is a change from the standard error displayed to those attempting to access Hulu from overseas without a VPN, which advises "currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States".

CNET Australia was able to access Hulu using a Chrome browser extension; however, TorrentFreak reports that popular services such as VikingVPN and TorGuard were caught by Hulu's new virtual barriers.

Geoblocking has long been an issue affecting Australian internet users keen on watching TV shows and other content fresh out of the United States. By subscribing to a VPN or DNS service, Australians could access streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix while sidestepping the geoblocks.

However, this practice has also drawn the ire of local Australian networks and content providers, with one network executive recently telling The Australian that US studios should take up the issue with the likes of Netflix "because they're not getting paid".