Major tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Cloudflare, are voicing concerns over anti-piracy measures in countries like France and Italy, warning of unintended consequences such as increased costs, trade disruptions, and potential censorship. The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (I2Coalition), representing these companies, highlighted the risks of overly broad site-blocking orders that extend beyond piracy prevention to impact DNS providers, CDNs, and VPNs. These measures, often implemented without judicial oversight, have caused collateral damage, including the blocking of legitimate services like Google Drive and Cloudflare infrastructure. Italy’s Piracy Shield and France’s expanded site-blocking policies have particularly drawn criticism, leading some VPN providers and DNS services to withdraw from these markets.
The coalition emphasized that while combating piracy is important, these measures can fragment the internet and stifle global trade and innovation. It urged the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to consider the broader implications of these policies in its National Trade Estimate Report and to advocate for balanced solutions that protect the free flow of information. By fostering international collaboration and emphasizing oversight, the coalition aims to mitigate the negative impact of site-blocking while supporting effective anti-piracy efforts.
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