Cloudflare's boss fears for the lives of some internet users after blocking illegal sports streaming sites. These are not empty words; we'll explain why the threat is real.
All rights holders are fighting against piracy. But among them, some are more zealous than others. LaLiga, which holds the broadcasting rights to the Spanish football leagues, is one of those fighting most vigorously against illegal streaming. The least we can say is that the organization doesn't hold back. For it, services essential to the proper functioning of websites are the enemies to be defeated. Google, hosting providers, VPNs... And especially Cloudflare.
Accusing the company of not cooperating, LaLiga obtained a court order authorizing it to block thousands of IP addresses itself every week. A situation that leads to what the more moderate call "collateral damage," that is, the offline use of perfectly legitimate websites. The phenomenon is becoming so widespread in Spain that Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, is calling on La Liga to stop its mass blocking operation, citing a life-threatening situation.
Blocking pirate streaming sites puts internet users at risk
“A large part of the internet relies on us, including small businesses and emergency resources in Spain,” Matthew Prince reminds us. “It is only a matter of time before a Spanish citizen can access a vital emergency resource because the rights holder of a football match refuses to send a limited request to block a resource rather than a general request to block an entire part of the internet.”
Pessimistically, the man is convinced that this will happen sooner or later. “When, unfortunately and inevitably, this happens and harms lives, I am confident that policymakers and the courts, in Spain and elsewhere, will make the right decision,” he continued, before concluding: “I pray that no one dies.” For its part, LaLiga believes that any collateral damage, as well as its consequences, are Cloudflare’s responsibility. Sometimes, the entity even denies the existence of blocking a legitimate site. A discussion around the table is clearly not happening anytime soon.
0 Comments