The BBC has begun to actively block VPN servers from accessing its iPlayer video streaming service, the broadcaster has told Torrent Freak. The block is affecting not just those from outside the UK that attempt to access the UK-only service via a VPN, but also those who use a VPN for security and privacy reasons. "BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only" is the notice VPN users receive.

"We regularly make updates to our technology to help prevent access to BBC iPlayer from outside the UK which breaks our terms of use," a BBC spokesperson told Torrent Freak. "BBC iPlayer is freely available to users across the UK without a VPN, and we also seek to ensure users of private VPNs such as those used by schools and companies in the UK have access." However, the broadcaster admitted that it doesn't have the ability to discriminate between legal and unauthorised home VPN users.

Naturally, VPN providers are already working on a fix for the block, with IPVanish already claiming it has found a way around it.

Earlier this year, a GlobalWebIndex report claimed that up to 60 million people outside the UK had been accessing iPlayer. The BBC disputes this figure however, saying: "These figures simply aren’t plausible. All our evidence shows the vast majority of BBC iPlayer usage is in the UK. BBC iPlayer and the content on it is paid for by UK licence fee payers in the UK and we take appropriate steps to protect access to this content."

The BBC has been making lots of changes to its iPlayer service of late. Most recently, it finally decided to drop Flash in favour of HTML5 for the desktop version of iPlayer. HTML5 is first being rolled in out in a beta, which users can opt into. When opted in, users will see a reminder banner to let them them they're using HTML5 video, rather than Flash.