Congress Introduces Bill Requiring ISPs and VPNs to Block Piracy Sites
H.R. 10364, the American Copyright Protection Act of 2026, would mandate that internet service providers, DNS services, and VPNs block access to foreign websites hosting pirated content, raising questions about enforcement when encryption and location masking are involved.
Pinpointing where a user actually is becomes extraordinarily difficult once virtual private networks enter the picture. Last week, lawmakers in Congress introduced another measure aimed at combating piracy: H.R. 10364, formally known as the American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 (ACPA). The legislation would obligate internet service providers, DNS resolution services, and VPNs to prevent access to overseas platforms and websites that distribute unauthorized copies of protected works. Now that the bill's complete language has been released, one striking feature stands out: its focus on blocking foreign services for connections originating "from the United States." This requirement becomes significantly more complex when content delivery networks and VPNs are factored into the equation.
Under the ACPA framework, blocking orders typically require court authorization but would take effect within 14 to 30 days once issued. The bill includes an expedited pathway designed specifically for live broadcasts of sporting events and entertainment programming, referred to as "time-sensitive events" in the legislation's language. In these cases, a judge may compress the blocking timeline as circumstances warrant, provided that the initial unauthorized distribution of the copyrighted material occurs no more than 24 hours after the content first airs.