(Image credit: NordVPN)

A court in Spain has rejected calls to fine NordVPN over alleged non-compliance with blocking orders.NordVPN, which ranks first in our guide to the best VPNs, was targeted by LaLiga, Spain's soccer administrator, back in February 2026. Along with others, the privacy firm was ordered to block certain IP addresses to prevent the illegal streaming of matches.NordVPN refused to do this, and subsequently LaLiga called for the VPN to be fined. However, the Commercial Court of Córdoba has dismissed the request following NordVPN's submission of technical evidence.Proceedings are still ongoing, but NordVPN says the ruling "marks an important step in recognising the consequences of such indiscriminate blocking."Technical impossibility

(Image credit: SOPA Images / Getty Images)On May 19, the Commercial Court of Córdoba dismissed calls from LaLiga to "impose coercive fines" on NordVPN for allegedly failing to comply with interim blocking orders.The case was first heard in February 2026, as VPNs – including NordVPN – were ordered to block IP addresses used to illegally stream Spanish soccer matches. At the time, NordVPN said blocks were "ultimately ineffective in combating piracy" and claimed it had no opportunity to defend itself in court.At the time, and over the following months, NordVPN's experts argued it "was not technically possible" to block IPs "without harming thousands of lawful websites in Spain and beyond."NordVPN said these experts demonstrated two things in court. It explained that the aforementioned IP addresses "change constantly" – often occurring within hours. The list of IPs supplied would therefore not match, and blocking couldn't take place.Secondly, NordVPN argued the "blanket" blocking demanded would see "thousands of entirely lawful websites inaccessible to users in Spain and beyond."LaLiga believed NordVPN "had deliberately and without justification breached the order" and called for fines. But the judge accepted NordVPN's report and ruled the fines were not warranted.Proceedings for the case are still ongoing, and NordVPN has said it "will continue to engage with the Spanish courts in good faith." It added that "technical concerns [around IP blocking] are real and evidenced," and it welcomed the court's recognition of this view.Not an isolated case