📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Spanish Court Orders ProtonVPN and NordVPN to Block Pirate Football Streams
Spanish Court Orders ProtonVPN & NordVPN to Block Pirate Football Streams — Without Giving Them a Chance to Respond
In a move that’s raising serious legal eyebrows, a Spanish court has ordered ProtonVPN and NordVPN to block access to illegal football streams — before the VPNs were even notified or allowed to defend themselves.
The Córdoba Commercial Court No. 1 granted an ex parte (Latin: inaudita parte) injunction at the request of LaLiga and broadcaster Telefónica Audiovisual Digital (TAD). This means the VPN providers weren’t present during proceedings and only learned about the ruling via media reports. ProtonVPN called the lack of formal notice “troubling,” questioning whether the order holds up under due process standards.
Why it matters:
The court treated the VPNs not as neutral tech providers, but as active enablers of piracy — citing their marketing that highlights geo-bypass capabilities, including match schedules. The order is dynamic: LaLiga can update the blocklist in real time, effectively forcing VPNs to act like ISPs with live piracy monitoring duties.
But here’s the catch:
Both companies operate outside EU jurisdiction — Proton in Switzerland, Nord Security in Panama. That makes enforcement murky at best. Still, LaLiga is calling it a “landmark victory,” suggesting this could be the start of a broader legal strategy across Europe.
Stay tuned — this could set a precedent for how courts handle VPNs in copyright enforcement, especially when due process and global jurisdiction collide. ⚽⚖️