IP Blacklist

Explanation

An IP blacklist is a database of IP address ranges associated with VPN services, proxy servers, Tor exit nodes, and data center infrastructure. Streaming services and anti-proxy companies (MaxMind, IPQualityScore, IPAPI) maintain these databases and update them continuously. When a viewer's IP address matches a blacklisted range, the streaming service blocks access or serves an error message. Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+ use IP blacklists as a core geo-enforcement mechanism. The arms race between VPN services and streaming platforms centers on IP blacklists: VPN providers continuously rotate IP address ranges to stay ahead of blacklisting; streaming services continuously update blacklists to catch new VPN IPs. Residential IP services emerged specifically to defeat blacklists by using IP addresses assigned to real home internet connections, which are not blacklisted. Commercial data center IPs are the easiest to blacklist; residential IPs are the hardest.