Federal bill would force VPN providers, ISPs, and DNS services to block foreign piracy sites
Proposed federal bill would force ISPs, DNS services, and VPN providers to block foreign piracy sites — yet the definition of "from the United states" gets murky
A proposed U.S. law, the American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 (ACPA), aims to compel internet service providers, DNS services, and VPNs to block access to foreign websites hosting pirated content. The bill would apply to connections within the United States, though the definition of foreign service and the impact of VPNs is unclear.
Blocking orders would be issued by courts within 14 to 30 days, but time-sensitive events could shorten this window. Exemptions include small ISPs, root DNS and TLD providers, and multi-hop VPNs. Legal questions arise regarding encryption, shared IPs, and technological features like Apple's iCloud Private Relay and encrypted DNS.
The bill's potential impact on neutrality and liability for third-party service providers raises concerns about unintended consequences.
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