NordVPN and Proton VPN hit with blocking orders as Spain cracks down on illegal soccer streams

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The court ruling has been described as "pioneering"

smartphone displaying LaLiga logo in red text in front of part of a football pitch
(Image credit: SOPA Images / Getty Images)

A court ruling in Spain now requires VPNs to block certain IP addresses in order to prevent pirate streams of LaLiga soccer matches.

Multiple VPNs appear to be affected, but two of the best VPNs, NordVPN and Proton VPN, have been named directly.

Clamping down on piracy

The move is part of an ongoing campaign to combat piracy, and the illegal streaming of LaLiga – Spain's highest division of soccer.

The case was heard in Commercial Court No. 1 of Córdoba, and concerns LaLiga and Telefónica Audiovisual Digital (TAD), a Spanish audiovisual technology company. Measures have been labelled as "precautionary" and have been taken in "defense of [LaLiga] clubs’ audiovisual rights."

VPNs are now required to block a list of IP addresses which have been confirmed to be broadcasting illegal streams. NordVPN and Proton VPN "must immediately implement" measures in their "internal systems" to make these IP addresses "inaccessible from Spain."

How and if this could be done is unclear. Blocking certain IP addresses also goes against the fundamental, privacy-focused, mission of the two VPNs.

The court order says VPNs are "contributing" to the piracy problem by allowing the evading of restrictions and changing a user's IP address and location. It also claimed VPNs "acknowledge and advertise" their effectiveness at evading internet restrictions. The "dynamic nature" of this ruling has been described as "pioneering" and it is claimed that it cannot be appealed.

In a tweet, Proton VPN said: We were not aware of any proceedings that may have been underway prior to these reports coming to light and have not been formally notified of any proceedings or judgment."

It added that it should be ensured "parties are given a fair opportunity to present their case before any binding judgment is rendered." Proton VPN also said it has not seen any disruption to its services in Spain.

Screenshot of Proton VPN tweet commenting on Spanish legal case.

(Image credit: Future)

NordVPN also confirmed to Tom's Guide that it has not received any judicial documents. It said: "We were not part of any Spanish judicial proceedings to our knowledge, and therefore had no opportunity to defend ourselves."

It criticised the method of blocking domains, saying it is "ultimately ineffective in combating piracy" and fails to tackle the root cause. NordVPN also cited the failure to target free, "often harder to regulate," VPNs. It concluded by saying "these services remain a loophole for pirates to bypass restrictions," allowing "piracy to continue without significant barriers."

VPNs have been targeted before

This is not the first time VPNs have been targeted in piracy-related cases. In May 2025, a court ruling in France ordered a number of leading VPNs to block access to over 200 illegal sports streaming sites.

The case ruled in favor of broadcaster Canal+ and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), France's premiere soccer division. This ruling was cited by LaLiga, with the Spanish measures labelled as "similar." In June 2025, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) called on VPNs to block online piracy sites.

At the time, the VPN Trust Initiative, a VPN working group, expressed disappointment at the ruling and defended VPNs. It said "VPNs are not facilitators of piracy" and described the targeting of VPNs as "a misguided and disproportionate approach."

Details surrounding the case are still emerging and we will update this article with any new information.

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

George Phillips
George Phillips
Staff Writer

George is a Staff Writer at Tom's Guide, covering VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity news. He is especially interested in digital rights and censorship, and its interplay with politics. Outside of work, George is passionate about music, Star Wars, and Karate.

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