Netflix has found another way to insult Internet service providers that it blames for poor performance. Netflix customer Yuri Victor, a designer for Vox Media, last night tweeted a picture of a message he got from Netflix that said, "The Verizon network is crowded right now. Adjusting video for smoother playback..."

Netflix already releases monthly speed rankings for each Internet provider, and those showed that Netflix performance on Verizon and Comcast was dropping for months as the companies squabbled over money. After Netflix paid Comcast for a direct connection to its network—a "paid peering" deal—performance improved 65 percent.

Netflix subsequently agreed to pay Verizon for a similar connection in a deal announced April 28. It takes time to establish all the necessary links between Netflix and ISP networks, though, so it's possible some of the traffic is still going through congested ports. It's also possible there's a problem somewhere else in the network. Netflix wants to make sure customers blame Verizon instead of itself, but it's not clear exactly how the company is determining where the congestion lies.

"This is a PR stunt," a Verizon spokesperson told Ars. "We're investigating this claim but it seems misleading."

Netflix didn't answer an e-mail from Ars, but a Netflix spokesperson said on Twitter that "we're always testing new ways to keep members informed."

In the latest Netflix speed rankings in the US, Verizon FiOS was measured at an average of 1.99Mbps per stream while Verizon DSL scored a 1.08Mbps average. Google Fiber was in first place with 3.58Mbps while Comcast is up to 2.77Mbps. The ranking covers April, so it doesn't take into account the new connection between Netflix and Verizon. Rankings for May should come out within a few days.

UPDATE: Verizon VP David Young responded to Netflix's claims in a blog post, saying, "Netflix is solely responsible for choosing how their traffic is routed into any ISP’s network... It is sad that Netflix is willing to deliberately mislead its customers so they can be used as pawns in business negotiations and regulatory proceedings. It would be more accurate for Netflix's message screen to say: 'The path that we have chosen to reach Verizon’s network is crowded right now.' However, that would highlight their responsibility for the problem."

UPDATE 2: Netflix spokesperson Joris Evers responded to our inquiry, saying, "We are testing ways to let consumers know how their Netflix experience is being affected by congestion on their broadband provider's network. At present, we are testing in the US in areas serviced by many broadband providers. This test started in early May."

Evers pointed out that an AT&T customer reported seeing a similar message in May. The customer wrote on Twitter, "So Netflix is throwing up a 'The AT&T network is crowded right now' message. Meanwhile, Youtube is playing 1080p no problem."