In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a Spanish court has labeled VPN services as “technological intermediaries,” ordering them to actively block IP addresses that host illegal LaLiga matches. The “dynamic” injunction compels NordVPN and ProtonVPN to intervene, similar to local ISPs. But with both companies operating outside EU jurisdiction with privacy-centric business models, it remains unclear if and how the order will actually be enforced.
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All of this crap just for Football?
I trust they replied “lol, no.”
Not unless they don’t want to keep doing business in Spain.
The order is unenforcable. Spanish courts have no jurisdiction over companies registered in other countries. It’s one of the most basic legal concepts, for order to be valid court must have jurisdiction over all parties.
Proton complies with court orders in other countries. Specifically, and of note, they handed over the identification of an activist due to French court rulings. There have been a number of others surfaced over the years.
Of course. Companies have to comply with valid orders, but not every order is legally valid. In this case, neither of the VPN companies were ever valid parties over which court established jurisdiction, making the ruling technically void.
Outside of that, in Proton case specifically, all foreign orders have to be recognised by a Swiss court to become enforceable. It’s one of the claimed reasons for them incorporating the company in Switzerland in the first place.
but not every order is legally valid
This is absolutely true, at the moment. There seems to be a rather disturbing trend toward the erosion of privacy. I worry that this will get chipped away over time.
They have jurisdiction over companies doing business in Spain…
Not true. Business courts only have jurisdiction over companies domiciled in Spain or wider-EU under certain circumstances. Neither ProtonVPN nor NordVPN are domiciled in Spain or EU.
But even if we ignore that, the fact that the order issused inaudita parte is another procedural grounds to void the order.
Okay then, how is the EU able to coerce American companies like Google, Apple, Meta, Xitter, etc. into complying with their laws?
European Commission =/ Spain business court
It doesn’t matter. Your argument is based on jurisdiction, so why does EU have jurisdiction over foreign nations operating in their region and Spain doesn’t?
It’s not the same; these companies have data centers and offices in the EU
Proton has Tor-alike 2-hop modes. You can have the server accessing the illegal content elsewhere and Spanish authorities wouldn’t know, except if they went looking for it in e.g. Switzerland
You really think Proton is going to run their business illegally and just cross their fingers and hope no one finds out?
You really think in 2026 that businesses operating within a legal grey area is rare?
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This is not a “legal gray area”. What you’re talking about would be 1000% illegal.
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Proton is not fucking Wells Fargo. They’re not going to make billions of dollars circumventing censorship in Spain.
1000% illegal
Where? Do you really think laws are the same everywhere?
We’re not talking about anywhere, we’re talking about Spain.
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lol I love it when politicians broadcast their complete and total lack of understanding of a technical concept
