In the evolving debate over digital governance, a tired narrative has emerged: that infrastructure providers are neutral "dumb pipes" forced to choose between total passivity or the "indiscriminate blocking" of entire IP addresses. In the past, the only option for content providers and telcos was to block entire IP addresses, which can take down not only the illegal content sites but other, non-involved sites, creating the potential for “collateral damage.” Yes, blocking IP addresses will always be an option when there are no other viable choices in some cases. But today, there are choices.
Sadly, some less-capable infrastructure providers prioritize their own revenue above all else, including their customers, and they have long championed this stance, arguing that surgical intervention is technically impossible without threatening the foundations of a free and open internet.
This is a false dichotomy. The "all-or-nothing" approach is a relic of the distant past. Ever since we pioneered self-service Edge Computing back in 2011, we've given customers the ability to route traffic programmatically, which includes being able to block bad actors based on any combination of factors. At Fastly, we believe that technical precision and the protection of intellectual property are not only compatible with an open internet but they are essential to its survival. Modern content streamers and leading-edge sports and entertainment companies recognize this and partner with Fastly for success.
Beyond the IP Address: The Power of Granular Control
To support a non-intervention position, some organizations want you to believe there is a huge risk of "collateral damage.” And while it is true that modern internet infrastructure practices put multiple businesses on shared IP addresses, it is not true that blocking a bad actor will inadvertently take down any number of legitimate small businesses or block legitimate traffic. While this was a valid concern in the era of static routing, Fastly’s real-time programmable edge capabilities have rendered it obsolete.
While some organizations might struggle with the complexity of selective filtering, Fastly operates at the Application Layer (Layer 7), not just the Network Layer (Layer 3). This allows for more nuanced approaches. Fastly can inspect individual URL paths, headers, and cryptographic tokens in real-time and can also correlate traffic across dozens of sites and millions of connections to find obvious patterns of piracy. Further, we proactively monitor our network to find obvious piracy patterns while also providing a mechanism for content producers like sports leagues to inform us when they find illegal streams, which we can then use to shut down not only individual pirate accounts, but other sock puppet accounts they've created. If a specific stream is identified as pirated, it can be terminated at the edge without affecting any other tenant on the same infrastructure.
Simply put, we don’t need to lock down an entire house; we can simply lock any specific door being used for illicit activity.
Redefining "Openness" Through Accountability
A truly "free and open internet" is not one where bad actors can hide behind anonymity to devalue the work of creators, athletes, and entertainers. When providers use "freedom" as a shield to ignore legitimate takedown requests, they create a "Tragedy of the Commons" where the internet becomes a high-risk environment for businesses and consumers alike.
Fastly’s vision for an open internet is built on transparency and partnership. By maintaining high-touch relationships with our customers and rights holders, we ensure that the internet remains a viable place for commerce. Our Edge-based Token Validation and Real-Time ACLs (Access Control Lists) update globally in microseconds. This means we can protect live broadcasts like global sports events from theft in real-time, ensuring that the economic engines that fund these events remain intact.
Security That Scales Without Compromise
Keeping the internet safe requires more than just reactive blocking. It requires proactive engineering and close customer relationships. Fastly’s customer-centric reputation is built on providing the tools, such as WAF and Client Fingerprinting, that distinguish between a legitimate user and an automated "ripper" bot.
We believe that being a "neutral" provider does not mean being an "indifferent" one. By providing the technical "know-how" to surgically remove illegal content while maintaining lightning-fast speeds for legitimate traffic, Fastly proves that a secure internet is a more open internet.
In the end, the choice isn’t between censorship and chaos. It’s between legacy thinking and the programmable future. At Fastly, we choose the latter.