Spanish Court Declines to Fine NordVPN over LaLiga Piracy Blocking Order
4 hours ago
- #Spain
- #VPN
- #Legal
- A Spanish court labeled VPNs as 'technological intermediaries' and ordered them to actively block IP addresses hosting illegal LaLiga matches without a prior hearing.
- The injunction targeted NordVPN and ProtonVPN, which challenged jurisdiction and raised technical issues, including rapidly changing IPs and overblocking risks.
- The court rejected LaLiga's request to fine NordVPN, citing lack of evidence for deliberate non-compliance, but did not resolve technical disputes between experts.
- The ruling is procedural and narrow; the main case continues, with the injunction still in effect, and technical arguments await a full merits review.
- Overblocking concerns have sparked political action, including a parliamentary motion for reform to address 'technological proportionality' in Spain's Digital Services Law.