French court orders top VPN providers to block pirate sports streaming sites

That’s never happened before, but a French court has confirmed that the virtual private network (VPN) providers will be required to block illegal sports streaming sites. Rights holders already hail this as a “turning point” in the fight against online piracy.

The Paris Judicial Court has ruled in favor of Canal+, ordering five VPN providers to block 203 domain names associated with illegal sports streaming sites.

Under the ruling, NordVPN, Cyberghost, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Proton are now required to block access to 203 domain names used to illegally stream UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and Top 14 (French rugby league) matches.

Canal+ holds the exclusive broadcasting rights to the three competitions in France. The group welcomed the decision, which it said sends a strong message regarding the responsibility of VPN providers, recognizing them for the first time as “technical intermediaries” in the illegal broadcasting of sports content.

“The group is proud to have initiated this major step forward in the fight against sports piracy in France and beyond, setting a legal precedent,” Canal+ said in a statement.

VPN providers have reportedly been handed “a tight, three-day window to execute the technical finesse needed to block these sites”.

A VPN is security software that encrypts users’ internet connection to boost online privacy while spoofing their real IP address.

Using a VPN might be the only way to bypass strict government-imposed internet restrictions. But it can also be used as a workaround to current anti-piracy tactics that involve blocking access to piracy sites based on users' browsing location.