Xbox gamers finding themselves banned indefinitely without warning

Xbox gamers are getting suddenly banned indefinitely without warning according to the community.

Gamers can get banned for a variety of reasons such as cheating, verbal abuse or using stolen content, all of which are very valid reasons. However, Xbox gamers are being banned for using a VPN despite it not being against any strict laws.

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While not illegal, the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can venture into a moral grey area, at least when it comes to mega-corporations. A VPN encrypts your online traffic and hides your identity.

A VPN can be especially useful when using public wi-fi because by hiding your online identity and changing your IP address to another region in the world, it can drastically reduce the chances of anyone accessing your private data.

It can also be used to access subscription accounts from other regions of the world. For example, if you have a UK Netflix account, by using a VPN, you can log in to a US account with the same password details, which may open up a new library of content that may not be available in your native region.

As reported by Pure Xbox, some VPN users have been using it on Xbox to purchase games from a different region of the console marketplace where its currency might save them a few quid.

However, Xbox price comparison website Xbox-Now has warned gamers not to use a VPN at this time because users are reporting on platforms such as Discord that Microsoft is issuing indefinite bans.

Twitter user Rho, shared a screenshot of their post on Discord explaining that they’ve received a ban on Xbox for using a VPN, despite not being a community standards violation.

An official response from an Xbox representative stated that using a VPN to exploit prices is forbidden, despite community standards stating otherwise.

“This account was suspended for the fraudulent acquisition or use of Xbox content. In this instance, your account was found to be purchasing content from out-of-region marketplaces, exploiting the differences in pricing between regions or countries that are not the region or country of the account,” the response read.

“As a sign of trust and good faith, we will be lifting the permanent account suspension and trust that this account and other accounts and devices that you own do not participate in these types of fraudulent activity.”

Whatever happens regarding the use of VPNs on Xbox, I think it’s fair to say that it won't hurt Microsoft to make its terms of service more clear to avoid confusion.