Cloudflare Block in Spain Spurs 200% VPN Signup Surge

A widespread Cloudflare block in Spain triggered a surge in VPN usage last week, as major internet service providers restricted access to thousands of websites. The move, aimed at curbing illegal La Liga football streams, caused a 200% spike in Proton VPN signups on October 19, according to the company.

Monitoring site Hayahora.futbol confirmed that ISPs including Movistar, Orange and Vodafone blocked a wide range of Cloudflare IP addresses. Because Cloudflare uses shared IPs, the block also impacted unrelated services. The Cloudflare block in Spain disrupted access to legitimate streaming platforms, gaming services, and websites.

Gamers attempting to play Blue Protocol: Star Resonance were among the hardest hit. The title, which launched globally on October 9, relies on Cloudflare’s infrastructure. Players in Spain lost access unless they connected through a VPN.

The block ended on October 20. Proton VPN cited the incident as a warning about the risks of overbroad censorship.

https://protonvpn.com/blog/spain-cloudflare-block