Laliga's blocking spree cripples gps app, separating family from vulnerable relative
What began as a routine effort to combat illegal football streaming has spiraled into a deeply unsettling situation: a Spanish family was temporarily unable to locate their father, who suffers from dementia, due to disruptions caused by LaLiga’s ongoing IP blocking measures. The incident, relayed on social media, underscores a growing concern that the league’s aggressive tactics are having unintended and potentially dangerous consequences for ordinary citizens.
A father's disappearance, a family's panic
The scenario is tragically familiar: a man with dementia wandered from his home, leaving his family frantic. Relying on a GPS tracking device and a mobile application, Paj Portal v2, they typically monitor his whereabouts in real-time. However, on Sunday evening, the app failed to load, plunging the family into a desperate search. The father’s son contacted the app’s technical support, only to be informed that the outage was linked to the very IP blocking measures LaLiga is implementing to curb illegal streaming.
“They told me it was happening to other users in Spain, specifically during La Liga matches,” the son recounted in a series of tweets. The technical support’s curt suggestion – to wait “a few hours until the games were over” – only amplified the family’s distress. Fortunately, they were able to locate their father using an alternative Android-based tracking device, a near miss that highlights the precariousness of the situation.
The root of the problem lies in LaLiga’s increasingly aggressive campaign to combat illegal football streaming. The league is pressuring internet service providers (ISPs) like Movistar, O2, and Digi to block IP addresses associated with alleged piracy. While the intent is to protect LaLiga’s revenue, the implementation has proven problematic, with legitimate services often caught in the crossfire. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince himself warned weeks ago that these actions could have real-world repercussions, a prediction that now appears disturbingly prescient.
This isn't merely about inconvenience; it’s about the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals. Imagine a similar situation unfolding with a child, an elderly person with Alzheimer’s, or anyone reliant on these tracking devices for their security. The potential for harm is undeniable.
Beyond gps: glovo and ski sites also affected
The Paj Portal incident is just the latest in a string of disruptions linked to LaLiga's blocking efforts. Reports indicate that services as diverse as food delivery platform Glovo and even ski resort websites have been affected, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of these measures. The scope of the collateral damage is expanding, and the question of proportionality is becoming increasingly urgent.
Legal experts at Almira Legal have already argued that LaLiga’s actions are at odds with Spanish law, pointing to the protection of fundamental rights and the potential for disproportionate interference with legitimate services. The fact that a court has now admitted a lawsuit seeking to halt these broad-based blocks suggests a growing legal challenge to LaLiga’s strategy.
While LaLiga undoubtedly has a right to protect its intellectual property, the current approach is demonstrably flawed. The league needs to refine its targeting methods and work more closely with ISPs to minimize the impact on innocent users – before someone else gets seriously hurt. The inconvenience of a disrupted football stream pales in comparison to the potential cost of endangering a vulnerable person. The situation demands a more measured and responsible approach.