LaLiga forces Spanish ISPs to mass-block Cloudflare IPs during Soccer Games

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In December 2024, a court in Barcelona allowed LaLiga to request blocking of IP addresses used for illegal streaming of football matches, often hosted via Cloudflare’s infrastructure.

Cloudflare serves millions of legitimate websites via shared IPs. Blocking these addresses has led to mass disruptions, including access loss to platforms like ChatGPT, GitHub, Discord, as well as critical government and medical services during match days.

Incident

• December 18, 2024: The Commercial Court No. 6 of Barcelona issues a ruling allowing LaLiga to request ISPs to block any IPs it deems are used for illegal streaming of its matches. This ruling also empowers LaLiga to update the list of blocked IPs weekly.
• February 9, 2025: LaLiga initiates its first major blocking action, targeting Cloudflare IP ranges and promptly causing disruptions to legitimate services. One of the pirate platforms allegedly blocked is DuckVision, which had ~200,000 users.
• February 15, 2025: In an official statement, LaLiga denies any indiscriminate blocking. It accuses Cloudflare of knowingly facilitating criminal activities, including child pornography, and claims to have filed a police report.
• February 16, 2025: Additional blocks are implemented targeting IPTV services DazcFutbolios and RBTV77, which had substantial user bases in Spain.
• February 19, 2025: Cloudflare, jointly with RootedCON, formally challenges the blocks in court, arguing they're disproportionate and harm millions of legitimate users.
• March 26–28, 2025: The court dismisses appeals from Cloudflare and RootedCON, stating no proof of harm was provided. The ruling reaffirms the legality of LaLiga’s actions under intellectual property law.
• April 15, 2025: CEO of Vercel (a CDN provider) publicly criticizes the blocks and notes that LaLiga had not contacted them directly. LaLiga then opens a communication channel, though Vercel reports continued blocking.

• May 2025 onward: Media coverage intensifies, highlighting the disruptions to services like X, Steam, and GitHub raising concerns over fundamental rights and business continuity

LaLiga's Response

• Insists the blocking is targeted, not indiscriminate, and based only on IPs confirmed to host illegal activity.
• Accuses Cloudflare of profiting from criminal content protection and using legitimate clients as “digital shields,” justifying the blocking as protective of intellectual property.

Lawsuit

Claims

Cloudflare and RootedCON argue the blocking is disproportionate, lacked prior notice, and caused collateral damage to legitimate users, infringing on rights to information and service continuity.

Rebuttal

LaLiga and the court maintain the order was legally obtained and executed with evidence of illicit content, citing compliance with intellectual property law and absence of demonstrated harm.

Outcome

Appeals were dismissed and the court upheld LaLiga’s authority to proceed with the blocks. Cloudflare is considering further action, potentially at the constitutional or EU level.

Consumer response

Services Affected

• Numerous consumers and businesses reported service disruptions across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Steam, GitHub, Google Fonts, coordinating apps, and institutional services.

Public Sentiment

• People expressed frustration and described the situation as overblocking of “half the Western internet.” Complaints on forums suggest prolonged disruptions and reliance on VPNs as a workaround.