European customers can now enjoy Netflix anywhere in the EU
European backpackers who have been missing their favorite Netflix shows can finally rest easy.
A new EU regulation called the "Regulation on the Portability of Online Content Services" will allow any European citizens to access subscription services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime, that they've subscribed to at home, anywhere in the EU.
The regulation was initially passed in June, but the nine-month grace period given to providers to prepare is about to expire, Wired reports.
Currently, providers like Netflix have to secure local rights to content in every region they operate in, which is why some show are available in some countries, but not in others.
In the EU, that's now a thing of the past. Paid providers are now required to validate their subscribers' home country and allow them to access the content available in their home country, regardless of where they are.
As more and more young people forgo cable TV for streaming services, being able to access those streaming services while traveling is becoming more of a necessity. Being able to keep watching your shows while backpacking probably won't make or break your trip, but it certainly eliminates what was previously an annoying part of traveling.
Topics Netflix
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
