“They are stealing from us every day”: LaLiga president Tebas blames big tech for enabling piracy
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has criticized major technology companies for their role in facilitating content piracy. Speaking at the Sportel sports business conference, Tebas accused tech firms, telecommunications providers, and social media platforms of providing the infrastructure that enables the distribution of pirated content, while failing to proactively combat it. He suggested that some companies profit from piracy through online advertising, app store commissions, cloud computing subscriptions, and telecommunications services, leading to a lack of motivation to address the issue. Tebas specifically criticized messaging apps, search engines, and social media platforms for delaying the removal of infringing content, citing X’s inadequate moderation and real-time blocking capabilities as an example. He also pointed to VPN services and cloud-based content delivery networks like Cloudflare for concealing the identities of alleged pirates. Tebas stated, “Big tech [companies] are the necessary cooperators for fraud,” and emphasized the need for legislation to hold them accountable. LaLiga has been actively pursuing legal action against piracy, recently securing a court ruling in Spain that allows the league to fine individuals consuming content illegally. Tebas argued that existing procedures for removing pirated content are too slow, rendering takedowns ineffective, especially for live sports events where the value is tied to real-time distribution.
