Spaniards turn to Proton VPN as anti-piracy blocks throttle the internet

• Proton VPN Free recorded a 2,500% increase in sign-ups in Spain
• The surge coincides with new IP blocks pushed by LaLiga to combat illegal streaming
• The blocking also impacted legitimate services, with users turning to VPNs to restore access

A dramatic surge in new users for one of the best VPN providers has highlighted the growing battle for internet freedom in Spain.

In a post on X, Swiss-based Proton VPN announced that it had seen a 2,500% increase in sign-ups for its free VPN service from users within the country, coinciding directly with the implementation of new, far-reaching anti-piracy measures.

The massive influx of users is a direct response to a government-backed crackdown on illegal streaming, driven heavily by the country's top football league, LaLiga.

Spanish courts have granted LaLiga the power to order internet service providers (ISPs) to block IP addresses and services suspected of facilitating piracy. However, the aggressive nature of these blocks is causing significant collateral damage, impacting legitimate internet users and services.

Thousands of Spaniards are now using privacy tools like Proton VPN to bypass blocks and regain access to the open internet. Proton's secure, free service has become a popular choice for those affected by the new restrictions.

TechRadar has contacted Proton for further comment on the situation, but we are still waiting for a response at the time of publication.

Spain's heavy-handed IP blocking

The core of the issue stems from the dynamic and broad nature of the new blocking orders.

In its effort to stamp out unauthorized streaming of football matches, LaLiga has been targeting not just specific pirate sites, but also the underlying infrastructure they use. This has included forcing ISPs to block dynamic DNS providers, such as the popular service No-IP.

As reported by TorrentFreak, these measures mean that any website or service using the targeted infrastructure becomes inaccessible to most of the Spanish population.

Dynamic DNS is a legitimate tool used by countless individuals and small businesses for everything from remote access to home computers to hosting personal websites. By blocking the entire service, the anti-piracy measures effectively throw the baby out with the bathwater, restricting access to a wide range of legal content and services.

This is the latest chapter in an ongoing struggle over the best way to handle online piracy, with tech companies like Cloudflare previously drawn into disputes over blocking measures in both Spain and the UK.

Experts have repeatedly warned against using core internet infrastructure, like DNS resolvers, as a tool for censorship, arguing it sets a dangerous precedent and leads to the kind of over-blocking now being seen in Spain.

How a VPN restores access

For Spanish users finding their internet access has suddenly been restricted, a virtual private network (VPN) offers an immediate and effective solution. A VPN works by encrypting a user's internet connection and routing it through a secure server in a different geographical location.

By connecting to a Proton VPN server (or any other VPN server for that matter) located in another country, Spanish users get a different IP address and encrypted traffic. This helps them bypass local ISP blocks and access restricted websites.

With mounting online controls, VPNs have become vital for digital freedom. The surge in Proton VPN use in Spain shows how strongly people wish to bypass censorship and keep the internet open.

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