§ 01
Definition
Since 3 December 2018, traders in the EU cannot block or automatically redirect customers from other member states, or apply different conditions to them, in many situations such as buying goods or hotel bookings.
§ 02
How it works
The regulation does not force a shop to deliver everywhere, but it must let you buy on the same terms as locals, for example by collecting the item. Copyright-protected audiovisual services such as streaming are excluded, which is why video geo-blocking persists.
§ 03
Why it matters
It explains a common confusion: the EU banned many forms of shopping geo-blocking but not streaming geo-blocking. That gap is where VPN streaming use and the portability rules come in.