Quad9 plans France withdrawal over beIN site-blocking orders
Quad9 plans to leave France on November 24 after a court imposes a daily penalty for failing to implement sports-stream blocking. beIN seeks enforcement; Quad9 challenges the orders' technical feasibility and effect on users.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
The October 21 judgment (opens in a new tab) enforces an earlier May 13 blocking order concerning unauthorized WTA streams. The court finds that Quad9 has not shown a technical impossibility and has taken no blocking measures. It imposes a penalty of 1,000 euros per day through the end of the ordered measures on November 14.
Quad9's October 22 announcement (opens in a new tab) argues that reliable territorial blocking is impractical and global blocking would extend French restrictions to other users. It plans to stop serving France on November 24 and cites other pending litigation.
EFF supports the withdrawal (opens in a new tab), arguing that infrastructure-level blocking threatens access and privacy. The announced departure date follows the expiry of this particular order; the dispute also concerns wider litigation risk and principle. The judgment records Quad9's appeal of the May 13 order and says that appeal does not suspend enforcement.
Timeline
2 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 21, 2026 to October 22, 2026
October 2026
Paris court imposes a daily compliance penalty
Source release
The judgment imposes a 1,000-euro daily penalty to enforce the earlier blocking order, through the end of its measures.
[01]beIN Sports France v. Quad9: penalty judgment
The judgment recounts the parties' submissions and imposes a daily penalty to enforce an earlier blocking order.
beIN Sports France v. Quad9: penalty judgmentParis Judicial Court, RG 26/11882; paragraphs 5, 8-18 and 21; dispositionQuad9 announces withdrawal planned for November 24
Source release
Quad9 says it will stop serving French users on November 24.
[02]Quad9 announces planned withdrawal from France
Quad9 opposes court-ordered DNS blocking and announces withdrawal on November 24, 2026.
Quad9 announces planned withdrawal from FranceSummary and What we are doing on November 24
Response record
Responses
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2 matching responses. Newest first.
Quad9Quad9, official withdrawal announcementDirectly involved Before this statement
Quad9 says French courts handed down an unfavorable ruling against it the day before, and that it cannot comply with the ruling over the long term while remaining faithful to its mission. It says recursive DNS resolution is a neutral and passive service.
"We categorically refuse to alter or lie to you about the DNS responses you receive in a way that opposes your expectations."
CondemnedCase context: Quad9 plans France withdrawal over beIN site-blocking orders
Full statement and sources
Quad9 says it refuses to alter the DNS responses users receive, calls recursive DNS resolution a neutral and passive service, and says compliance with the ruling is technically unfeasible.
After the statement
Quad9 says the ruling forces an untenable position on it, that compliance is technically unfeasible and contradicts its mandate to serve the public, and that it will withdraw its services from France on November 24.
Quad9 announces planned withdrawal from FranceSummary and What we are doing on November 24Why this label?
The case's reference point is the French court orders requiring Quad9 to block sports-streaming domains through its DNS resolver. Quad9 refuses to alter DNS responses as the orders require and calls compliance technically unfeasible, which rejects the orders.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
beIN Sports FrancebeIN Sports France, through its legal submissions recounted in paragraph 5 of the judgmentDirectly involved Before this statement
A May 13 judgment of the Paris court ordered Quad9 to put blocking measures in place. beIN brought the case to the court's September 23 hearing to obtain enforcement of that judgment through provisional penalties until the end of the 2026 WTA season.
"Action: Asked for a penalty of 10,000 euros per day per domain or subdomain remaining accessible through Quad9, to enforce the May 13 blocking order."
Defended or excusedCase context: Quad9 plans France withdrawal over beIN site-blocking orders
Full statement and sources
In its September 22 submissions, beIN asks the court to attach a penalty of 10,000 euros per day, per domain still reachable through Quad9, to the May 13 blocking order.
After the statement
beIN also asks the court to order Quad9 to pay 5,000 euros in costs. In its September 28 submissions, Quad9 asks the court to reject all of beIN's requests.
beIN Sports France v. Quad9: penalty judgmentParis Judicial Court, RG 26/11882; paragraphs 5, 8-18 and 21; dispositionWhy this label?
The case's reference point is the French court orders requiring Quad9 to block sports-streaming domains. beIN, which obtained the May 13 blocking order, asks the court to enforce it against Quad9 with daily penalties, so it supports the orders under scrutiny.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(3)
Original text
beIN Sports France v. Quad9: penalty judgment
Relevant passage: Paris Judicial Court, RG 26/11882; paragraphs 5, 8-18 and 21; disposition
About this source
The judgment recounts the parties' submissions and imposes a daily penalty to enforce an earlier blocking order.
- Author
- Tribunal judiciaire de Paris
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
EFF supports Quad9's withdrawal over site-blocking orders
Relevant passage: Opening paragraph; criticism of infrastructure providers policing copyright
About this source
EFF argues that withdrawal protects users' rights and criticizes requiring infrastructure providers to police copyright.
- Author
- Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Quad9 announces planned withdrawal from France
Relevant passage: Summary and What we are doing on November 24
About this source
Quad9 opposes court-ordered DNS blocking and announces withdrawal on November 24, 2026.
- Author
- Quad9
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Quad9 plans France withdrawal over beIN site-blocking orders
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/quad9-france-bein-dns-blocking-withdrawal
The Dispute Index. "Quad9 plans France withdrawal over beIN site-blocking orders". First published: 2026-10-28. Last updated: 2026-10-28. https://disputeindex.com/cases/quad9-france-bein-dns-blocking-withdrawal