Netflix VPNs start being banned, as people are hit by message telling they they are ‘using an unblocker or proxy’

The site announced a crackdown on the tools that are used to get access to other countries’ libraries — and it appears that has just come into effect

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings delivers a keynote address in front of an image of actor Kevin Spacey from 'House of Cards' and an image from the show 'Orange is the New Black' at CES 2016 at The Venetian Las Vegas on January 6, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Netflix’s huge war on unblockers appears to have begun.

The site has started blocking proxies and VPNs, which allow people to pretend that they are watching from another country and get access to its library.

An Australian VPN called uFlix reports that Netflix has started blocking its users.

"You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy,” the message shown to the users reads. “Please turn off any of these services and try again."

Netflix announced last week that it was going to try harder to block the services across its network. But it didn’t say how exactly it would do so.

It appears now that the company is looking out for the specific addresses used by those VPN and proxy services, and blocking them from connecting to the site.

That is likely to mean that the VPN companies will simply switch those IP addresses around, meaning that no one service is likely to be inaccessible for long.

One VPN service already suggested that it will “immediately deploy new server IP addresses so users can still bypass blocks” as soon as any blocks come into force.

Netflix itself has apparently suggested that it is mostly shutting down the proxies to appease license holders. The site has to have different content in each country because TV shows and films are sold by different people everywhere, and those licenses maybe harder to acquire if their owners think users are circumventing them.