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Netflix's Australian Selection is About to Get Even Worse

Netflix is warning that our national classification system is causing delays.

Image via Make It Stranger

Now that our VPNs don't work, Australians are forced to stick with the profoundly limited selection of TV shows and movies that our local version of Netflix offers. Unfortunately, the situation might be about to get worse—Netflix is now warning that our complex national TV show classification system may cause further delays in new shows being added to the streaming platform.

Netflix's global public policy manager Josh Korn told IT News that the US-based company was commissioning more shows than ever, but it was a struggle to get them approved by the Australian Government's all-powerful Classification Board.

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"There are significant obstacles associated with classifying large volumes of content," Korn told the news site. "Processing delays could result in content being premiered later in Australia than in other Netflix markets."

Essentially, much of the content owned and shown by Netflix has never been seen (legally) on Australian screens—therefore, it needs to be classified for the first time and accompanied with consumer warnings. The shenanigans of Rory and Lorelai on Gilmore Girls aren't appropriate for everyone, you know? The classification process takes time and money, and the more original shows Netflix adds to its catalogue, the worse the situation will become.

Korn has a suggestion: the Australian federal government allow Netflix to classify its own shows. Currently, the streaming service is bound by the same classification process as every other show, movie, or game.

"There is currently no capacity for streaming video on demand (SVOD) providers to self-classify the content supplied to their customers," he emphasised. "Classification costs for the SVOD industry will continue to increase as the range of online content choices for Australian consumers continues to expand."

This isn't exactly a crazy idea. The gaming industry is allowed to classify its own content for Australian audiences, as are more traditional TV and radio broadcasters—who typically employ their own dedicated classification teams. Unfortunately, classification laws haven't kept up with the rapid growth in popularity of SVOD providers like Netflix in Australia.

Incidentally, this isn't the reason that you can't watch Breaking Bad and Twin Peaks on Australian Netflix—two examples of shows that US users can readily enjoy, and we miss out on. Australia's limited catalogue of shows mainly comes down to the nuances of regional licensing agreements. The classification issue, though, looks set to exacerbate things.

Unfortunately, unless things change soon, Australians won't be able to watch whatever hyped up binge show replaces Stranger Things alongside everyone else in the world. How will we understand the memes?

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