VPN Providers Targeted in Piracy Crackdown: VPNs Fight Back

French rightsholders have ramped up efforts to block access to pirate sites, this time setting their sights on major VPN providers.

The push comes as part of an expanding strategy to curb copyright infringement, but VPN companies are pushing back, calling it a direct threat to internet freedom.

For years, courts around the world have ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict access to illegal streaming and torrenting platforms.

More recently, DNS resolvers like Cloudflare and Google have been forced to comply with similar restrictions.

Now, France is taking things a step further, targeting major VPN services that allow users to bypass these blocking measures.

Rightsholders Demand VPN Compliance

The latest legal action, spearheaded by sports broadcasters Canal+ and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), seeks to impose site-blocking measures on some of the most widely used VPN providers.

These include CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, ProtonVPN, and Surfshark.

Rightsholders argue that without VPN participation, their existing blocking efforts will be undermined. They see this as a logical next step in the fight against online piracy, treating VPN providers as intermediaries that facilitate access to illegal content.

A court hearing next month will determine whether these VPN services will be forced to comply. However, early signs suggest that the VPN industry has no intention of backing down.

VPNs Fight Back: A Threat to Online Privacy?

Shortly after the injunction request became public, the VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) – a coalition representing several leading VPN providers – condemned the move.

While VTI acknowledges the need to combat illegal activity, it argues that site blocking goes too far.

The group warns that these measures could block legitimate content and infringe on individuals’ rights to privacy and free expression.

Since VPNs do not host any content themselves, enforcing these restrictions would be an overreach, they say.

Swiss-based ProtonVPN went even further, describing the proposal as a “dangerous attack on internet freedom on the altar of corporate greed.”

The company argues that if authorities are serious about tackling piracy, they should be targeting IPTV services directly rather than going after VPN providers.

ProtonVPN also raised concerns about user privacy. If VPNs are forced to comply with blocking measures, it could set a precedent for further censorship and monitoring, eroding the very purpose of these services.

Will VPN Blocking Even Work?

Beyond the legal and ethical concerns, some question whether blocking VPNs will be effective at all. Even if France succeeds in restricting a handful of popular providers, users could simply switch to lesser-known VPN services that operate outside French jurisdiction.

ProtonVPN highlighted this risk, warning that censorship efforts could push users toward unregulated services with questionable security practices.

This, in turn, could create new privacy risks for consumers while failing to curb piracy in any meaningful way.

A Fight That Could Go to Europe’s Highest Court

VPN companies are prepared to fight this battle all the way to the European Court of Justice if necessary. ProtonVPN has already stated its willingness to take legal action at the highest levels, arguing that the case sets a dangerous precedent for online freedom.

Even if a French court rules in favor of rightsholders, this legal battle is far from over. The outcome could shape the future of digital privacy and anti-piracy enforcement across Europe and beyond.

For now, all eyes are on the upcoming court hearing. One thing is certain—this case will have major implications for both copyright enforcement and internet freedom in the years to come.

For more information on this story, refer to the report from TorrentFreak.

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