system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why can't Netflix help us get around throttling by encrypting their traffic and including the decryption in an end-user plugin?

Netflix has been effectively useless the last couple of weeks as Comcast has blatantly throttled my access to the service (yes, even post Netflix agreement to fork over money). One way around it (and to indicate it was throttling) was to access Netflix through a VPN. However this isn't a practical option for everyone and isn't practical if you're viewing on an Apple TV or related device. So my question again, is why can't Netflix encrypt its traffic and simply inconvenience us with a new browser plugin to install, or in the case of other media consoles, simply embed it in the Netflix app?
gpt
They would still be able to see where the traffic was coming from. Encryption doesn't hide the source or destination. Encryption is only useful for hiding the contents, and just watching the pattern would make it pretty obvious what it was. Also, plug-ins are a horrible, horrible thing that any sensible company will avoid whenever possible.