BBC moves to dismiss Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over VPN jurisdiction
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The BBC filed a motion in a Florida federal court to dismiss Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit over a 2024 documentary. The broadcaster argues that 34 unauthorized play-starts in Florida via VPNs do not establish jurisdiction. The case hinges on whether bypassing geo-blocks constitutes conducting business in the United States.
Key Facts
- The BBC filed a motion to dismiss in a Florida federal court on Monday.
- Trump's amended complaint relies on 34 unauthorized play-starts in Florida accessed via VPNs.
- The 34 Florida streams represent 0.006% of 570,000 successful requests for the documentary.
- The BBC uses third-party cybersecurity services like GeoGuard to block VPN and proxy viewers.
The VPN Jurisdiction Battle
The dispute centers on a documentary that Trump alleges maliciously edited his January 6, 2021 speech to make it seem as though he was inciting violence. The BBC later apologized for the edit and pulled the documentary from its streaming platforms. In its motion to dismiss, the BBC argued that the 34 Florida streams represent just 0.006% of the 570,000 successful requests for the documentary. The corporation characterized the streams as unconfirmed and completely unauthorized.
Geo-Blocking and Terms of Use
To enforce its UK-only streaming rule, the BBC uses third-party cybersecurity services like GeoGuard to perform technical checks and block viewers employing VPNs or proxy servers. The BBC also said it strictly prohibits circumvention in its Terms of Use. The broadcaster argued that penalizing broadcasters for viewers bypassing geo-blocks could have massive implications.
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BBC moves to dismiss Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over VPN jurisdiction
