Italy’s communications regulator, AGCOM, has fined Cloudflare €14.2 million for failing to block pirate streaming sites via its 1.1.1.1 DNS service. The penalty follows the 2024 “Piracy Shield” law, designed to protect Serie A broadcasting rights for platforms like DAZN and Sky by blocking illegal streams in real-time.
Key Points of the Dispute The Mandate: AGCOM requires Cloudflare to disable DNS resolution for IP addresses flagged for copyright infringement. The Fine: The €14.2M penalty represents roughly 1% of Cloudflare’s annual turnover. Cloudflare’s Stance: CEO Matthew Prince slammed the law as “internet censorship” lacking judicial oversight. He warned that filtering billions of requests threatens web performance and risks “over-blocking” legitimate sites. Potential Retaliation: Cloudflare is considering withdrawing cybersecurity investments from Italy, including support for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Fallout While Italian football officials argue piracy is draining the league’s revenue, critics point to a September 2025 report showing that hundreds of legitimate websites have been caught in the crossfire. The standoff highlights a growing tension between aggressive copyright enforcement and digital infrastructure stability.