Real-time IP blocking targets pirate IPTV in France during the World Cup

A major threat is looming for anyone using pirate services.

Real-time IP blocking rolls out during the World Cup

As announced, a powerful new anti-IPTV tool is now being deployed in France for the World Cup. If you have not come across it yet, it involves blocking the IP addresses of pirate streams in real time. The system is being used throughout the tournament and, in particular, for tonight’s Argentina v England match.

In practical terms, illegal IPTV servers and pirate streaming sites can be taken offline immediately. Broadcasters (M6 and beIN Sports), internet service providers (ISPs) and the French audiovisual and digital communications regulator Arcom are trialling this new mechanism right away.

Who does what: rights holders, ISPs and Arcom

More specifically, rights holders will be on the lookout to identify pirate services. Once detected, ISPs will then be required to block the relevant IP address at their request. Arcom will oversee the entire setup. As a result, subscribers to pirate services may find the match broadcast cut off mid-stream, live.

Quoted by Radio France, Arcom’s deputy director general, Pauline Combredet-Blassel, describes the approach like this: “The point of IP blocking is that it targets the servers. Once you hit the source, it becomes much more complicated to create new platforms.” In her view, while it is fairly easy to create “as many Internet addresses as you like, once the servers are no longer accessible, it’s still much harder to replicate.”

beIN appears to welcome these measures, but would like to see them extended further. The channel’s legal director, Sarah D’Arifat, points to Spain as an example: “Today, in Spain, they block 10,000 addresses of pirate services over a single matchday. That’s what we block in France in a year.”

Risky blocks?

Against that backdrop, beIN is calling for automated blocking that would not require human intervention. French lawmakers seem relatively open to the idea, as a draft bill is due to be examined by the National Assembly in three weeks.

Attractive as it may be for rights holders, the concept is not without dangers, because the same server can host unlawful sites alongside others that are entirely legal and, in some cases, essential for citizens. Last year, we also revisited the issues seen in Spain, which used a similar strategy. In that case, the measure inadvertently affected many legitimate sites and platforms hosted by the provider.

An increasing number of companies and users are protesting, denouncing unjustified outages that undermine certain fundamental rights. Quoted by El Pais, Ofelia Tejerina, a lawyer and president of the Association of Internet Users, puts it bluntly: “It affects freedom of information, freedom of expression, and freedom to do business.” More on this can be found in our previous article here.