A commercial court in Barcelona on Thursday said La Liga can go after individuals who stream football illegally.
The court order requires Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide La Liga with the IP addresses of people streaming La Liga matches illegally. Your IP address is akin to a digital home address, and it can reveal a lot about you, including your location.
The court’s decision has prompted discussions about privacy and how a virtual private network (VPN) can keep netizens anonymous online.
Privacy experts agree that the easiest way to hide your online activities from ISPs and other prying eyes is by using a VPN. This cybersecurity tool obfuscates your internet traffic and keeps you anonymous online.
We’ve tested many VPNs over the years, and NordVPN is our top choice for streaming.
ISPs Must Share Users’ Information With La Liga
Spain’s La Liga is one of the most popular football leagues and attracts millions of viewers across the world.
Prior to the court order, only organized piracy groups and public establishments (like bars and restaurants) were subject to punishment for broadcasting a pirated stream. Now, La Liga can take action against individuals who consume pirated content in their homes.
The ruling requires ISPs in the country to give La Liga information about users who visit known pirated servers. This information includes users’ names, IP addresses, physical addresses, and identification documents.
It is currently unclear what actions La Liga will take and how it will use this information. Publications in Spain expect the league to fine the violators.
Some of the prominent ISPs in Spain who will be subject to this order include Vodafone, Orange, MásMovil, Digi, and Telefónica.
The Fight Against Piracy
This order is the latest jab in La Liga’s efforts to fight illegal streaming.
Last year, La Liga President Javier Tebas said the league had successfully shut down 58 Android apps and an unspecified number of Apple applications that broadcast free football content. These apps had millions of downloads worldwide, with over 1.1 million in Spain alone.
While it is necessary to take measures to curb the menace of piracy, requiring ISPs to track users and their activity rings alarm bells for privacy violations. Since this order is from a commercial court, it is subject to scrutiny from higher courts and the country’s Supreme Court.
Many people are unaware that ISPs can track their online activity, collecting various information like the domains you visit and the time you do so, the duration of each browsing session, and more.
In countries with authoritarian regimes, this is often exploited to target political opponents, journalists, and activists.
