French Court’s Site-Blocking Orders Drive Quad9 Out Of France
A nonprofit service that protects internet users’ privacy is leaving France. Quad9, a free DNS resolver, has said it will reluctantly stop serving users in France on November 24. This follows a French court order that Quad9 must block access to websites that are accused of infringing the copyrights of a sports broadcaster. Forcing a responsible privacy service out of an important market is a…
A nonprofit organization providing internet privacy protection is withdrawing from France due to a French court's site-blocking order. Quad9, a free DNS resolver, will cease serving users in France on November 24. The order forces Quad9 to block access to websites accused of copyright infringement, a decision that impacts both users' privacy and security.
In a blog post, Quad9 explained that complying with the order would either apply French law globally or try to block users only in France – both options are problematic and could result in hefty fines. The organization faces about 20 lawsuits in France seeking similar orders. Quad9's withdrawal highlights the consequences of internet services being forced to act as copyright police, potentially leading to the loss of privacy and security services.
It also warns that similar site-blocking proposals being considered in the U.S. could threaten free speech and access to information online. Congress should reject such bills as they are harmful to the open internet and to creators.
Written by urgent.news from EFF Deeplinks's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
