Cloudflare CEO Warns LaLiga Piracy Overblocking in Spain Could Impact Emergency Services

• Cloudflare's CEO warned LaLiga’s overblocking measures in Spain could impact emergency services.
• He argued that people in the country may not be able to access emergency services, putting lives at risk.
• The post on X highlights that sending a limited request to block one resource would be a better solution than broad injunctions.

A controversial anti-piracy initiative in Spain aimed at curbing illegal football streams is drawing intense criticism for its heavy collateral damage, with Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince warning of potentially life-threatening consequences.

Since February, Spanish authorities, under a judicial order, have mandated Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to 150 piracy platforms. 

This strategy targets Cloudflare IP addresses en masse, inadvertently restricting millions of legitimate websites operating on the same infrastructure. 

The collateral damage now extends far beyond intended targets, impacting critical resources, small businesses, and even emergency services across Spain. 

The phenomenon, dubbed #laligagate, has escalated as sites unrelated to football piracy—including protest websites and unrelated businesses—are swept up in the sweeping blocks, leaving many Spanish citizens unable to access essential online services.

Prince voiced his concerns publicly, describing the broad IP-based blocking strategy as “bonkers.” He emphasized the risk of denying citizens access to vital emergency resources. 

Can you talk about potential legal action against LaLiga, several sites and programs are being affected while there's a football match, it's been happening for months. And the CEO of the Spanish League said that CloudFlare is being used to help cybercriminals.

— Cisne (@cisne_bayswater) May 20, 2025

A huge percentage of the Internet sits behind us, including small businesses and emergency resources in Spain. We've always been happy and willing to work with rights holders in conjunction with judicial bodies to protect their content. We have a clear process that works around…

— Matthew Prince 🌥 (@eastdakota) May 20, 2025

Prince warned Spanish citizens may not be able to access a life-saving emergency resource because the football match rights holder “refuses to send a limited request to block one resource versus a broad request to block a whole swath of the Internet.”

The controversy hinges on LaLiga’s interpretation of its legal mandate. While LaLiga insists overblocking is minimal and responsibility lies with intermediaries like Cloudflare, Prince maintains that the league’s refusal to collaborate on targeted measures is fueling the unintended harm. 

The CEO’s warnings are grounded in the growing scale of disruption, which he believes could have fatal outcomes if not urgently addressed.