Sites still know my location despite using a VPN

Unless you're using a true VPN tunnel, such as between you and your employer's, school's or bank's servers, they provide false security from a privacy standpoint.  Read these articles:  Pubic VPN's are anything but private and Security Risks: The Dangers of Using Free VPNs (eccu.edu).    

Additionally a new study ("Apple Offers Apps With Ties to Chinese Military”) is specifically about VPN apps in Apple’s App Store.

I recommend uninstalling the VPN according to the developer's instructions. Then you can check to see if you've removed all of the supporting files by downloading and running the shareware app  to search for any files with the application's or the developer's name in the file name.  For the XXXX files you'd do the following search(es): 

1 - Name contains  xxxx

2 - Name contains vpn

Any files that are found can be dragged from the search results window to the Desktop or Trash bin in the Dock for deletion.

FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't like invisible folders, system folders and packages.  

If you get warnings that the file can't be deleted because it is in use or used by another app boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac, run Find Any File again and delete from there.

Note:  if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode.  This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will assure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

Then you do not need a VPN. You want to obscure your location, which I addressed in the very first reply.

If you want some control over that location, you might investigate using a Tor browser, or open a private Tor window with Brave.

https://brave.com/

Accomplishing what you seek may not be simple, or even legal in India. As I alluded to earlier we are approaching the limits of our ability to help using this site.

> ...even if your VPN location is set to the country you are actually in.

but that's the point...

IF you're using a VPN endpoint in, say, Estonia and Netflix detects the presence of a VPN, they cannot reasonably* determine if you are an Estonian using an Estonian-based VPN from your home in Tallinn, or a Chinese hacker in Beijing, or just some Iranian trying to get around nation-state content blockers. The safe option for them is to just deny access.

* usual disclaimer about 'reasonable', inference, and network detection aside

I understand you want to obscure your location. Read Control access to the location of your Mac - Apple Support.

If you use Google (for anything), don't. Uninstall it.

Camelot wrote:

> ...even if your VPN location is set to the country you are actually in.

but that's the point...

IF you're using a VPN endpoint in, say, Estonia and Netflix detects the presence of a VPN, they cannot reasonably* determine if you are an Estonian using an Estonian-based VPN from your home in Tallinn, or a Chinese hacker in Beijing, or just some Iranian trying to get around nation-state content blockers. The safe option for them is to just deny access.

* usual disclaimer about 'reasonable', inference, and network detection aside

ok, thanks. I now understand WHY Netflix set up their site in that manner. :)

Which is not legal.

The content is region restricted. You may pay for accounts in both countries if you want, but you can only legally access content in country A when you are physically in country A.

If you have an issue with that, I suggest you address your question to Netflix Legal Department. I'm sure they will be happy to explain it to you.

It would help to explain the reasons for your question. Netflix enforces the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and recent court rulings have determined it is in fact a crime to circumvent it, at least in the US. That does not imply you are actually violating anything and you may in fact have a legitimate gripe with Netflix. Contact them for support or boycott the service and tell them the reason. I can think of many reasons to not give them my business and yours isn't even one of them.

Understandable. Laws regarding digital rights and copyright restrictions vary from one country to another. For whatever reason Netflix has deemed whatever you are attempting to do a violation of its TOS and / or a violation of those laws.

If it's that important to you then yes, leave the country... if you can. It is becoming increasingly difficult to do that, but if it is in fact beyond possible as you say, then learn to live without Netflix. I doubt they'll care either way.

As for Apple, this site's Terms of Use specifically prohibits discussing anything even remotely illegal, including attempts to circumvent DRM restrictions (§B.8.ii), so this Discussion may come to a sudden end.

The content is legally restricted to a specific country. You can not legally access the content unless you are physically located in the country it is restricted to.

If you want to watch content that is restricted to the US, you MUST be PHYSICALLY PRESENT in the US.

We don't make the rules, but we also can't not help you break them.

I don’t think there is any VPN of the type that you are looking for (“exits onto the public internet”) that he or the others who replied to you would recommend. But I could be mistaken.

A VPN that let you access your employer’s or school’s private network from home would be a different matter. But that would not help you with getting around Netflix’s and Hollywood’s regional restrictions. Also, in that case, you would be using the VPN that the employer’s or school’s IT department told you to use.

Kathill7 wrote:

I am not looking for privacy or protection. I try to source goods and information needed by my outfit. Sometimes it is useful to be somewhere else, as some places assume everyone in India is doing something nefarious. Which I am not.

Actually, you are.

What you are attempting to do is a violation of Netflix terms and copyright law.