A Spanish court has ordered VPN providers NordVPN and ProtonVPN to block websites facilitating illegal streams of LaLiga football matches, a move that has sparked debate over internet freedom and copyright enforcement. The ruling, issued by the Commercial Court No. 1 of Córdoba, requires the VPNs to block IP addresses transmitting unauthorized broadcasts of LaLiga games.
The court’s decision, taken without prior notification to the VPN companies – a process known as ‘inaudita parte’ – prevents them from appealing the order. LaLiga, Spain’s professional football organizer, and its broadcasting partner, Telefónica, are tasked with providing ongoing evidence of unlawful transmissions. This unprecedented step in Spain follows similar actions taken in France, where courts have also compelled VPN providers to block access to pirated sports content.
LaLiga has been aggressively pursuing legal action against piracy, previously targeting Cloudflare for allegedly aiding illegal streaming. The organization successfully argued that VPN providers fall under the scope of the EU Digital Services Regulation, obligating them to assist in preventing copyright infringement occurring through their networks. According to LaLiga, VPN systems are “highly effective and accessible” tools for circumventing geographical restrictions and accessing protected content illegally.
ProtonVPN responded to the ruling with a statement on social media questioning the court’s process. “Any judicial order issued without proper notification to the affected parties, thereby denying them the opportunity to be heard, would be procedurally invalid under fundamental principles of due process,” the company stated. They emphasized that Spanish courts, like all courts operating under the rule of law, are bound to provide a fair hearing before issuing binding judgments.
NordVPN echoed these concerns, stating through a spokesperson, Laura Tyrylyte, that the company had not been involved in any legal proceedings in Spain and had not received the judicial documents referenced in press reports. “Given such judgments impact on how the Internet operates, such an approach by rightsholders is unacceptable,” Tyrylyte said. She argued that blocking domains is an ineffective solution, failing to address the root cause of piracy.
Tyrylyte suggested that focusing on hosting providers, cutting off financing for illegal operations, and increasing the availability of legitimate content would be more effective strategies. She also pointed out that the measures primarily affect reputable, paid VPN services, whereas free VPNs, often less regulated, continue to provide loopholes for pirates. “Free VPNs are often harder to regulate and, since users who seek to avoid paying for content are unlikely to pay for a VPN either, these services remain a loophole for pirates to bypass restrictions,” she stated.
The ruling allows LaLiga to dynamically update the list of blocked IP addresses in real-time during matches, granting the league unprecedented control over shutting down illegal streams. Though, privacy advocates have warned that this dynamic blocking could lead to “collateral damage,” potentially disrupting legitimate internet access for users unrelated to piracy, such as remote workers.
