How does BBC iPlayer know I'm not in UK despite logging into UK server via VPN?
2 by godelmachine | 9 comments on Hacker News.
Hi all, I use NordVPN on my iOS 14 and I want to watch some entertaining series aired on the BBC. Earlier I used Sweden server on NordVPN but then I changed to UK since BBC shows are only available to people geographically situated in the UK. Even though browser and websites detect change in location and start throwing tons of CAPTCHA, I circumvent this (or I'd like to think I do) by deleting all cookies and caches from all browsers I have installed, beginning with Safari. However, the problem here is this → the BBC iPlayer website somehow figures out that I am still logged in from a non-UK country and doesn't let me watch videos, despite clearing all my caches and cookies, after I have recently changed my NordVPN to login from UK. The workaround I have found for now is stay logged in from UK NordVPN server for around 2-3 days and then access BBC iPlayer content (streaming videos/ series), then it works. Patience is not one of my virtues and waiting for a 2-3 days is a lousy workaround. Is there a quicker workaround for this? I know deleting just cache and cookies ain't gonna work so easily. Should I go for a network reset? That will have the added complexity of re-entering my WiFi password which I wanna avoid. My thinking here is that the web server Session Affinity (Sticky bit) is cookie based, as opposed to IP based and hence this keeps on happening. Would someone please help me out here? Thanks PS → the BBC iPlayer website does ask its users to turn off VPN, if they are using any.