Dangerous precedent set in France after VPNs forced to block pirate sites

When we think about pressure on privacy tools — like VPNs or alternative DNS providers that help shield your traffic from prying eyes — we often picture countries where freedoms are already under strain. Think Iran, China, or Russia.

But this view doesn’t tell the whole story. Increasingly, countries in Europe, where personal privacy and data protection are enshrined in law (most notably through the GDPR), are also ramping up pressure on VPN and DNS providers to block access to certain domains.

The latest example is France, where, in a ‘legal first,’ a number of popular VPN services were ordered to block access to over 200 domains associated with piracy.

What happened

On May 15, major French broadcaster Canal+ and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) — France’s football league authority — scored a major win as the Paris Judicial Court ruled against several well-known VPN providers. The ruling orders them to block access to 203 domains linked to illegal sports streams (mainly football and rugby) — and to do it within three days of the decision taking effect.

The list of targeted VPNs includes some of the biggest names in the industry: NordVPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and ProtonVPN.

After the May 15 ruling, Canal+ issued a statement praising the decision, calling it a “strong signal about the responsibility in the illegal broadcasting of sports content.” What makes this case especially concerning is that, for the first time, VPNs were officially labeled as “technical intermediaries” — meaning they’re being treated more like broadcasters or platforms rather than neutral privacy tools. That’s a major shift, and not a good one, in how the courts are starting to view VPNs.

An ongoing campaign

Canal+ has been relentless in pushing the idea that any service merely enabling a connection should be held responsible for what that connection might lead to — including copyright infringement. Initially it went after the easiest target — ISPs — forcing them to block domains. Last year, it set its sights on the alternative DNS providers, including Google, Cloudflare, Cisco, Quad9, and Vercara. One side effect of this campaign was that Cisco’s OpenDNS, one of the most widely used alternative DNS providers, suspended its entire service in France in an apparent act of defiance. And it’s not just about Canal+. French courts have also ruled in favor of other broadcasters in similar cases too.

Fight against piracy should not undermine basic principles of a free web

At AdGuard, we are concerned about the growing trend in Europe of punishing content-neutral services.

VPNs are not tools for piracy — they are technologies built to safeguard users’ digital rights. The core values underpinning VPN services — security, anonymity, and internet freedom — must not be sacrificed in the name of combating illegal streaming. This latest court ruling in France threatens to do exactly that, setting a dangerous precedent.

— Denis Vyazovoy, CPO of AdGuard VPN

AdGuard is not alone in this concern. Other major players in the VPN industry have voiced similar warnings. Surfshark, one of the providers named in the French ruling, stated that while it respects the legal process, the company is currently evaluating all available options, including a potential appeal.

“Mandating that intermediaries implement content restrictions brings up critical issues related to freedom of expression, proportionality, and the protection of user rights,” Surfshak said in a statement, as reported by Tom’s Guide.

Internet community critique: ‘misplaced responsibility’

These concerns aren’t just coming from VPN providers themselves. The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) — an advocacy group comprising leading technology companies including Cloudflare, NordVPN, Surfshark, and Squarespace — strongly criticized the ruling as disproportionate and counterproductive.

This blocking approach — which has failed in the past — relies on blunt technical instruments instead of precise enforcement tools to address the actual sources of piracy. Therefore, it will not reduce infringement and will only cause widespread collateral damage.

— i2Coalition statement

According to the group, holding VPN providers responsible could drive ethical and transparent services out of the French market. This vacuum may then be filled by shady, unregulated alternatives, leaving users exposed to security and privacy risks.

Their sub-group, the VPN Trust Initiative (VTI), went further in spelling out the dangers of such overreaching decisions. It warned that such measures come with significant risks, including:

• Overblocking: Blocking shared IPs or domains can unintentionally disrupt countless legitimate services

• Internet fragmentation: National firewalls and isolated DNS systems threaten the global coherence of the internet

• Collateral damage: Cloud platforms, small businesses, and websites may face financial and operational harm

Not just France: Italy expands piracy controls to VPNs and DNS

France is not alone in tightening the grip on internet infrastructure. In early 2024, Italy launched Piracy Shield, a real-time notification system requiring ISPs to block unauthorized live streams within 30 minutes of alert. In February this year, the Italian internet watchdog extended the reach of the Privacy Shield to cover VPNs, public DNS providers and search engines. It also extended the blocking orders to other live content beyond just sporting events.

This intensifying crackdown on service providers signals a broader European trend toward treating neutral infrastructure as a guilty party — a path that risks breaking the internet’s fundamental architecture in an attempt to fix one problem.

Our takeaway

The ruling in France could mark a tipping point in the global debate over how far governments are allowed to go in the name of intellectual property enforcement. While protecting rights holders is important, the approach must be balanced and should not reduce VPNs, essential tools for privacy and free expression, to mere enablers of piracy.

It’s important to remember that neither VPNs nor DNS providers promote piracy or any other illegal activity. The responsibility lies with users to ensure they use such tools in accordance with the laws of their respective countries.