In a groundbreaking legal development, France has taken unprecedented steps in its battle against digital piracy by directly targeting virtual private network (VPN) providers.

On May 15, 2025, a landmark ruling from the Paris judicial court mandated that five major VPN companies must implement measures to block French users from accessing over 200 domains associated with illegal sports streaming platforms.

The court order, initiated by Canal+ and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) in February, affects industry leaders including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, and CyberGhost.

This ruling has sparked significant concern within the VPN industry, with many providers describing it as an alarming precedent that could have far-reaching implications for internet freedom and privacy.

The technical feasibility of implementing such blocks presents a substantial challenge for these services, which operate under strict no-logging policies designed to protect user privacy.

Representatives from affected companies have expressed uncertainty about how to comply with the order while maintaining their privacy commitments. NordVPN acknowledged they currently lack a solution that would allow them to identify users in French territories without compromising their core privacy principles.

Similarly, Surfshark confirmed they don't possess the necessary blocking mechanisms to fulfill the French authorities' requirements.

This case highlights the growing tension between copyright enforcement efforts and digital privacy protections, raising important questions about the future of VPN services in jurisdictions pursuing aggressive anti-piracy measures.

Implementing domain blocking through VPN protocols faces steep technical hurdles, diverting crucial cybersecurity resources from core protective functions.

Mandatory infrastructure alterations undermine VPNs' foundational purpose as privacy guardians, transforming them into potential surveillance tools.

Online security advocates warn that such mandates erode digital rights protections while creating dangerous precedents for internet freedom.

Attempting to restrict VPN functionality inevitably pushes users toward less secure alternatives, elevating national cybersecurity risks.

VPNs exist to shield users - not enable piracy

Industry analysis reveals these measures as disproportionate to copyright enforcement goals, generating collateral damage to lawful online activities.

Historical evidence from Italy demonstrates how content blocking systems frequently cause service outages for legitimate platforms like cloud storage services.

The VPN Trust Initiative cautions that infrastructure-level censorship accelerates internet fragmentation, creating splintered digital ecosystems.

Their assessment confirms such blocking constitutes an imprecise enforcement strategy with consequences far exceeding intended outcomes.

Service disruptions and misplaced liability exposure consistently emerge as unintended byproducts of these regulatory approaches.

Security-focused providers have already begun restricting access in affected regions to maintain operational integrity.

Blocking orders will not make infringing material vanish from the internet, industry voices warn.

Several VPN companies told TechRadar that France’s recent demand to block illegal streaming sites is unlikely to stop piracy and may cause collateral damage.

Yegor Sak, co-founder and CEO of Windscribe, dismissed the French ruling as a "total waste of time," saying it fails to address why large-scale piracy exists — notably that sports distribution has not adapted to the realities of the internet.

Executives at NordVPN echoed that view, calling court-ordered blocks a temporary patch rather than a cure. They argue the strategy ignores root causes and risks introducing new cybersecurity problems.

NordVPN and Surfshark — two of the five VPN providers named in the French action — have confirmed they are appealing the decision.

Experts and providers say blocking tools often shift the problem rather than solving it: content remains online, and users move to other access methods such as alternative DNS, proxies or different VPNs.

Cloudflare co-founder and CEO Matthew Prince criticized a similar approach taken in Spain by La Liga, warning that broad takedown or block requests can unintentionally cut off vital online services used by businesses and emergency responders.

Regulators focused on blocking are also drawing pushback for potentially widening digital controls; AdGuard’s Vyazovoy warned the precedent could lead to more demands on VPN services in countries tightening internet oversight.

Industry representatives recommend longer-term solutions: user education, widely available and convenient legal streaming options, and international cooperation on content protection — rather than relying on blunt network-level blocks.

As France ushers in a more aggressive blocking regime, VPN providers and internet infrastructure firms fear other European governments may adopt similar tactics, prolonging the cat-and-mouse battle over piracy without removing the offending content.

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