Is it possible for other apps or sites to block VPN access in this way? I was under the impression (possibly incorrectly) that using one would help to avoid such issues.
By using a VPN you are essentially routing your internet traffic through another computer and another ISP. So you have one of the VPN provider’s IP addresses. So what they have to do is find out which IP addresses are used by VPNs and block those. It’s very hard, but for the biggest companies somewhat doable.
Is it possible for other apps or sites to block VPN access in this way? I was under the impression (possibly incorrectly) that using one would help to avoid such issues.
By using a VPN you are essentially routing your internet traffic through another computer and another ISP. So you have one of the VPN provider’s IP addresses. So what they have to do is find out which IP addresses are used by VPNs and block those. It’s very hard, but for the biggest companies somewhat doable.
BBC iPlayer does this all the time
b