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How Brexit Could Affect Your Netflix & Spotify Subscriptions

photographed by Erin Yamagata; produced by Sam Nodelman; modeled by Victoria Gomez.
This week we've already been warned that Brexit could affect property prices, our rights and choices as consumers and even Eurostar services from London to Paris.
Now it's emerged that leaving the EU could have an impact on our access to online streaming services like Netflix and Spotify.
Thanks to EU regulations, since April these services haven't been allowed to discriminate between users on the basis of whether they're in their home country, or travelling within Europe.
So if you're on holiday or a work trip in Amsterdam, for example, you're guaranteed access to all of the Netflix content you'd be able to enjoy at home in the UK.
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However, The Independent reports that new official papers released by the government warn that these regulations would "cease to apply" if the UK leaves the EU with a "no deal" Brexit.
The papers state: "This means online content service providers will not be required or able to offer cross-border access to UK consumers under the EU Regulation. UK consumers may see restrictions to their online content services when they temporarily visit the EU."
It's worth pointing out that however Brexit pans out, we'll definitely have access to Netflix, Spotify and other streaming services when we're travelling in the EU. We'll also definitely have access to Netflix original shows like The Crown, Queer Eye and 13 Reasons Why whether we're in London, Barcelona, Rome or Berlin.
But Netflix concedes that "local catalogues vary due to licensing and local tastes", so the library you'd find abroad might not contain all the same titles you'd find at home.
While the government obviously has more pressing issues to anticipate if "no deal" can't be avoided, it's not too surprising that officials are considering how Brexit could affect our access to online streaming services. After all, Netflix and Spotify were recently named the two most popular brands among British millennials.

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