Xbox Gamers Getting Banned for Using VPN on Official Store

[Kane99]

Source - https://mp1st.com/news/xbox-gamers-banned-for-vpn-on-store

So it seems that Microsoft is cracking down on people who use a VPN to buy foreign games cheaper from the official store. I know some people who have used VPNs in the past to buy games cheaper in another location. As well, I know some people use VPNs to redeem foreign game codes as well. But I don't think that is getting users banned. Seems to just be tied to the official Xbox store. I don't think there was a rule about this before, so I guess people expected it was fine, but it sounds like Microsoft is taking this seriously. 

How do you feel about this? I'm not against using a VPN to buy games cheaper, because even though it's saving some money, it's still money going to MS and these companies. But, I get where Microsoft is coming from here and I imagine they have a right to block VPN use in that regard. 

[Shagger]

This is a complex issue.  There are licenses, local laws and contracts involved with selling games in a specific country.  These factors of course change from country to country as well.  This isn't big, mean Microsoft stopping people getting good deals on games, this is Microsoft trying to stay on the right side of thier contractual and legal obligations.  Even so, banning individual accounts over this seems like both an extreme and lazy way to go about this.  The right thing to do would be to detect users using  a VPN (Something they clearly are able to do) and cutting off access to the store while a VPN us active.

[Scorpion]

It's definitely surprising to see Microsoft take such a strong stance on VPN usage in their store. While I understand the appeal of saving money, it’s clear they want to maintain pricing integrity. It will be interesting to see how this develops!