May 13, 2025 07:00:00

How do Google, Cloudflare, and OpenDNS respond to court orders to block DNS on copyright infringing sites?

For copyright holders,

DNS blocking is an effective countermeasure against sites that distribute pirated or illegal software. In response to the increasing number of requests for DNS blocking, TorrentFreak, a media outlet that covers topics such as copyright infringement, has compiled the results of its investigation into how DNS clients such as Google, Cloudflare, and OpenDNS are responding.

DNS Piracy Blocking Orders: Google, Cloudflare, and OpenDNS Respond Differently * TorrentFreak
https://torrentfreak.com/dns-piracy-blocking-orders-google-cloudflare-and-opendns-respond-differently-250511/

DNS is used to convert the domain name requested by a user to an IP address for Internet communication. If the domain is blocked, the DNS server will not return the correct IP address, but will instead display a message saying 'that domain does not exist' or 'this site is dangerous,' thereby blocking access to the site. This is called DNS blocking.

Since around 2024, courts in France, Italy, and Belgium have ordered Google, Cloudflare, and OpenDNS to change their responses to certain DNS queries for pirate sites, etc. While DNS blocking is relatively easier and quicker to implement than site suspension orders, there are also voices opposed to its implementation, such as the belief that it is technically easy to circumvent and that it is a violation of the ' secrecy of communications ' by detecting which sites users are trying to access and censoring the content of their communications.

According to TorrentFreak, Google is unable to access domains that have been ordered to be blocked by court order via DNS. Below is a screenshot of a pirate site that was illegally streaming soccer-related content.

According to TorrentFreak, Google's actions are not transparent because they simply reject DNS queries and display a browser error, and are not linked to IP addresses that would explain the reason for the block. The Belgian court's order includes a 'redirect to a dedicated page' to provide users with details, but Google is not compliant.

In the case of Cloudflare, users who try to access a domain in a country where a blocking order has been issued will instead receive a notice like the one below. The notice includes a link to

the Lumen database , where they can review the technical reasons for the block. However, Cloudflare complies with court orders in its own way, rather than through DNS blocking, explaining in its H2 2024 Transparency Report that it 'does not block content via DNS resolvers, but instead uses 'alternative mechanisms.''

OpenDNS, a free DNS resolution service, has taken some pretty extreme measures in response to court orders to block DNS. When a French court ordered OpenDNS and others to implement technical measures to block access in June 2024, Google and Cloudflare blocked access to pirated domains, while OpenDNS suspended its services throughout France. In April 2025, OpenDNS received a similar order from a Belgian court, and similarly withdrew its entire service, not just the sites that were ordered to do so.

'Our investigation shows that the responses of the various companies vary widely, adding to an already confusing situation. Transparency is paramount, as meddling in DNS is a big step that should not be taken lightly,' TorrentFreak said.