A French court has ordered VPN providers including NordVPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and Proton to block over 200 domains that illegally stream sporting events. The decision is unprecedented in Europe.
A Paris court has upheld a lawsuit by the Canal+ media group, which holds exclusive rights to broadcast matches of the Champions League, the English Premier League and the French rugby league Top 14. VPN providers are now officially recognized as technical intermediaries in the process of illegal content distribution and must comply within three days. Canal+ representatives called the decision a “historic step” in the fight against piracy.
The decision sets a precedent in Europe: VPNs can no longer be considered “neutral channels”. They are required to actively block access to pirated resources. This will potentially affect the anonymity policies of VPN services, especially in countries with strict copyright laws.
73 
91 
79 