Netflix has announced it is to start cracking down on customers and viewers who use special software or tools to bypass the service's regional restrictions.

The selection available on Netflix in different countries can vary significantly, and many users have taken to using network 'workarounds' - such as proxies and VPN services - to access content available in other countries.

Netflix last year denied it was clamping down on anybody using VPN services.

However, the company has now committed to cracking down on users bypassing regional restrictions. 

In a blog post, the company's Vice President of Content Delivery Architecture David Fullagar said "in coming weeks, those using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country where they currently are. We are confident this change won’t impact members not using proxies".

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, Fullagar says "we are making progress in licensing content across the world and, as of last week, now offer the Netflix service in 190 countries, but we have a ways to go before we can offer people the same films and TV series everywhere.

"Over time, we anticipate being able to do so. For now, given the historic practice of licensing content by geographic territories, the TV shows and movies we offer differ, to varying degrees, by territory. In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location," he adds.

While original Netflix produced content is typically available across all regions at the same time, the licensing rights for the majority of television and film content will differ between countries. For example, Netflix UK & Ireland purchased the rights to screen Better Call Saul here - but the show is not available on Netflix US as it is produced and broadcast by television station AMC.

Netflix last week announced it was launching in more than 130 new countries around the world.