DNS Policy and Technical Call, 2nd February 2026

Описание: This week, we explored some of the issues that arise when the Domain Name System is used to block access to selected content, for example, because a site contains copyright-infringing content.

Simon Forster, General Manager of Quad9 DNS, kicked off the discussion by looking at the business models of some of the largest public resolver operators. He used this to underscore some of the unique challenges faced by Quad9, a not-for-profit operation lacking the financial resources of the tech giants but nevertheless the third largest operator of its type.

Simon went on to share his take on some of the challenges that blocking mandates present to Quad9, whether the need to field legal representatives for court hearings in multiple countries or the costs to build a blocking capability.

Raffaele Sommese, Assistant Professor at the University of Twente, focused primarily on Italy's Piracy Shield legislation. He explained its history and operation, highlighting a variety of weaknesses in the implementation as well as ways that it could be abused.

After looking at the positive case for blocking, and considering alternatives to the approach taken by Piracy Shield, we took a range of questions and comments from other participants on the call. It's a fascinating topic, and our two panellists brought out some unique insights to help understand the complexities involved.