📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Cloudflare Challenges Legality of Italy’s “Piracy Shield”, Appeals €14 Million Fine
Cloudflare Slams Italy’s “Piracy Shield” as a Threat to the Open Internet — and Files Legal Appeal
Italy’s aggressive anti-piracy scheme, dubbed the “Piracy Shield,” has drawn fire from tech giant Cloudflare—not just for fines, but over what it calls a dangerous erosion of internet freedom.
Launched in 2024, the system promises rapid takedowns (within 30 minutes!) to curb live sports piracy, especially targeting Serie A broadcasts. But critics say it’s a blunt instrument that overblocks legitimate sites—including government portals, schools, and even Google Drive—raising concerns about collateral damage.
Cloudflare, whose public DNS resolver 1.1.1.1 refused to enforce the blocks, was hit with a €14.2 million fine (1% of global revenue) for non-compliance. The company argues this violates EU law: Italian fines for non-compliance should be capped at €140,000—based on local revenue—not 100x that amount.
Worse yet, Cloudflare alleges the system is a “black box”, developed by SP Tech—an arm of a law firm representing rights-holders like Serie A—and lacks transparency, oversight, or due process.
In a March 8 appeal filing, Cloudflare vows to keep fighting—not just the fine, but the legality of the whole scheme.
The stakes? Whether private interests can dictate internet infrastructure—and potentially compromise national security—without accountability. 🌐⚖️