Google Opposes French Order to Block Piracy Sites as DNS and IP Filters Risk Overblocking
Updated
Updated · Mashable SEA · Jul 12
Google Opposes French Order to Block Piracy Sites as DNS and IP Filters Risk Overblocking
3 articles · Updated · Mashable SEA · Jul 12
Summary
A French court shifted anti-piracy enforcement upstream, ordering intermediaries including Google and Cloudflare to block illegal streaming and piracy sites at rights holders’ request.
Google argued the required DNS, IP and VPN blocking would be easy to evade yet still sweep up lawful services, making the order ineffective and disproportionate.
Its filing cited past overblocking that hit Google Drive and sites tied to Amnesty International, UNICEF, UNHCR, the Australian Senate and Stanford Law Review.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation backed that critique, while a June 30 U.S. House IP panel and Representative Darrell Issa’s planned bill suggest the EU-style approach could spread.
As site-blocking laws spread globally, are we trading copyright protection for a more censored and fragmented internet?
Can the internet's 'safe harbor' principle survive the global push to make tech platforms liable for user piracy?
France’s DNS and VPN Anti-Piracy Crackdown: Legal, Technical, and Privacy Fallout in 2024–2026
Overview
France has sharply escalated its anti-piracy campaign by expanding enforcement from traditional ISPs to include public DNS providers like Cloudflare and Google, as well as VPN services. This move, driven by decisions from the Paris Judicial Court and pressure from sports rights holders, aims to block unauthorized sports streaming more effectively. The court agreed that public DNS resolvers were helping users bypass ISP blocks, leading to new orders for DNS and VPN providers to block pirate sites. This broad approach marks a significant shift, compelling even privacy-focused VPNs to participate in content blocking and signaling a new phase in France’s fight against online piracy.