The French courts yesterday handed down an unfavorable ruling against Quad9 in a major case that undermines the transparency and stability of the internet. This decision in favor of beIN forces Quad9 to block the recursive DNS resolution for a number of domain names for users located in France.

The good news is the court significantly reduced the financial penalty, from €580,000 to €1,000 per day. However, for Quad9, this has never been just a financial issue: it is a matter of principle.

We cannot comply with this ruling over the long term while remaining faithful to our mission to protect your privacy, defend you against cyber threats, and preserve the integrity of the internet. For us, recursive DNS resolution is a neutral and passive service. We categorically refuse to alter or lie to you about the DNS responses you receive in a way that opposes your expectations.