Authorities in an international operation dismantled FirstVPN, a service Europol described as being used by ransomware actors and other cybercriminals. The 21 May announcement linked the action to cooperation led by France and the Netherlands with support from Europol and Eurojust.
The operation's official notice records participation across 27 countries and the seizure of 33 servers. Investigators said the service had been promoted in criminal forums and used to conceal activity associated with offences including ransomware and data theft. The case concerns the alleged criminal use and operation of this particular service; it does not establish that VPN technology or ordinary privacy tools are inherently unlawful. The coordinated action illustrates why infrastructure-based investigations often require cooperation across several jurisdictions.