French Court Orders VPN Providers to Block Pirate Sports Streaming Sites

A French court ruled that several VPN providers, including NordVPN, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN, must take measures to prevent users from accessing specific pirate sports streaming websites. Copyright holders like Canal+ sued, alleging these VPNs allowed users to bypass geo-restrictions and watch illegal streams. The court dismissed the VPN providers' objections, finding that Article L. 333-10 of the French Sports Code applies to VPN providers and ordered the blocking of listed website domains within three business days. This marks a new milestone in France's fight against online piracy but also raises concerns about internet censorship and user privacy.