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From Sanctions to Overblocking: A Personal VodafoneZiggo Case Study
MICHEL van der KEMP
In an era where digital freedom is increasingly under threat, one Dutch internet service provider (ISP) stands out for its aggressive implementation of EU sanctions against Russian media. Ziggo, part of VodafoneZiggo, provider of internet access for about 3.3 million Dutch households, has not only complied with these measures but has arguably gone further, adopting a sweeping blocklist that ensnares unrelated platforms and raises serious questions about censorship, net neutrality, and the erosion of open internet principles.
This article explores the issue through a personal case study: the blocking of Odysee.com, a U.S.-based video-sharing platform, and how Ziggo’s actions exemplify broader flaws in EU sanction enforcement.
The Spark: A Morning Discovery and a Blocked Domain
Imagine waking up to find a favorite online platform inaccessible, redirected to a bland ISP warning page. That’s exactly what happened to me on a recent morning in December 2025. Attempting to access Odysee.com—a decentralized, user-generated content site operated by LBRY Inc., an American company—I was met with Ziggo’s block notice, citing EU sanctions against Russian propaganda. Odysee hosts millions of videos on topics ranging from tech tutorials to independent journalism, yet it was lumped in with outlets like RT and Sputnik. My subsequent research and complaint to Ziggo revealed a deeper story: the block stemmed from a private industry list, not a direct government mandate, highlighting how voluntary compliance can morph into unchecked censorship.
EU Sanctions: From Targeted Bans to Patchwork Enforcement
The roots of this issue trace back to March 2022, when the EU imposed bans on Russian state media as part of its response to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Regulation 2022/350 and subsequent “waves” (now up to the 19th package in October 2025) prohibit the distribution of content from entities like RT, Sputnik, and others deemed to spread war ‘propaganda’. ISPs are required to block such content via DNS measures, but the EU failed to provide a centralized, official list of domains, leading to inconsistent implementation across member states.
In the Netherlands, the Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM) initially offered guidance on just five domains in 2022, but stopped updating it despite new sanction waves. By summer 2025, public scrutiny and pressure from the Public Prosecutor prompted Dutch ISPs to expand their blocks. Enter NLconnect, the trade association for Dutch telecoms, which stepped in to fill the void. In September 2025, NLconnect compiled a “reference list” of 796 domains by aggregating inputs from regulators in Germany, Austria, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, and Denmark’s industry equivalent. The list is explicitly advisory—NLconnect opposes DNS blocking in principle, viewing it as ineffective and trust-eroding, and even challenged the measures in court. Yet, it advises members to use the list for compliance, with provisions for reporting false positives.
Ziggo’s Aggressive Adoption: From Compliance to Overkill
Ziggo didn’t hesitate to implement the full NLconnect list (tested via sample), effectively becoming one of the EU’s most stringent enforcers. In my case, Odysee.com appeared on the list under Lithuania’s LRTK (Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission) tag, despite no public LRTK decision mandating a domain-wide block. Odysee, acquired by U.S.-based Forward Research in 2024, isn’t on the EU’s official sanctions annex and primarily hosts non-Russian content. The block seems tied to Odysee occasionally mirroring sanctioned channels like RT, but a full-domain shutdown is disproportionate when targeted geo-blocking is feasible. DNS blocking is the crudest possible instrument: it cannot distinguish channels, users, or content.
This isn’t isolated. Recent reports reveal the list’s “misfires”: Ziggo and other NLconnect members have blocked social media giants like China’s Weibo and India’s ShareChat, U.S. media aggregators like Streema.com and Viaway.com, and even pirate IPTV services unrelated to Russian ‘propaganda’. These inclusions stem from aggressive foreign regulators like LRTK, which has blocked hundreds of sites since 2022, often without clear ties to sanctions. By wholesale adopting this aggregated list, Ziggo imports foreign restrictions lacking legal force in the Netherlands, turning advisory guidance into broad censorship. As NLconnect’s director noted, they’re “merely the messenger,” but ISPs like Ziggo bear responsibility for the outcomes.
Ziggo’s helpdesk response to my inquiry was telling: they claimed no knowledge of the block’s rationale and deflected to their community forum, underscoring a lack of transparency. This contrasts with uneven EU enforcement—studies show sanctioned sites remain accessible in over 75% of cases, with countries like Slovakia showing minimal blocks.
Good morning,
I would like to follow up with you regarding the question that was raised about why the video platform odysee.com is being redirected to a Ziggo web page:
https://www.ziggo.nl/website-geblokkeerdUnfortunately, we do not have an answer to this, nor do our experts. I would therefore advise you to submit this question to our Ziggo Community.
There are other experts there who know more about this. You can log in to the Ziggo Community using your Mijn Ziggo login details, and they will be able to provide you with more information.
https://community.vodafoneziggo.nl/
Kind regards,
[Name removed]
VodafoneZiggo
The Broader Implications: Net Neutrality Under Siege
Ziggo’s approach violates the EU’s Open Internet Regulation (2015/2120), which allows blocking only for explicit legal obligations—not private lists. It constitutes “overblocking,” denying access to legal content and infringing on information freedom. The Dutch government declined to provide or endorse a national list, deferring to 2023 EC guidance that nods to industry initiatives like Denmark’s. If the EC begins referencing NLconnect’s list as a de facto standard, it could normalize this patchwork across the EU, amplifying censorship without democratic oversight.
Critics argue this sets a dangerous precedent, echoing broader EU trends where sanctions morph into tools for silencing dissent. Platforms like Odysee, designed to resist censorship through blockchain, become collateral damage in a system prioritizing expediency over proportionality.
A Call for Accountability
Ziggo Vodafone’s leadership in this “charge” isn’t heroic—it’s a cautionary tale of how good intentions (or compliance pressures) lead to overreach.
Users should report false positives to NLconnect, file complaints with ACM, and escalate to the European Commission if needed. Until the EU provides a centralized, transparent list, ISPs like Ziggo risk becoming unwitting censors, undermining the open internet they claim to support. We have reached out to both Ziggo and NLconnect, but as of today, they have not responded to our questions.
Featured image source: https://www.k2view.com/customers/vodafone-ziggo/
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