{
  "id": 8965044,
  "title": "Congressional Bill Would Require Internet Providers to Block Piracy Sites",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/congressional-bill-would-require-internet-providers-to-block-piracy",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-21T17:19:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Consequence",
    "slug": "consequence",
    "url": "https://consequence.net/2026/09/bill-internet-providers-block-piracy-sites/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "California Republican Representative Darrell Issa has proposed a bill that would compel internet service providers (ISPs), domain name resolution services, and virtual private network (VPN) services to block foreign piracy websites. The American Copyright Protection Act of 2026, a bill that has not yet been officially introduced in Congress, is meant to make it simpler for copyright holders, such as record labels and publishing houses, to obtain court orders for blocking illegal file-sharing sites, according to a report from Ars Technica. The legislation would enable copyright owners to petition a court to label a website as being used for foreign piracy based on a \"preponderance of the evidence,\" leading to a request from the holder to the court for network operators to block the site. ISPs, DNS providers, and VPN services with at least 100,000 monthly subscribers in the United States would be subject to this legislation. The bill would grant such entities 14 days to file objections in most cases, but there is also a provision for quicker blocking of \"time-sensitive events\" like streaming or content pirated within 24 hours of its release. Major copyright holder groups, including the Motion Picture Association, have advocated for the bill, while opponents argue that it could lead to copyright abuse and over-enforcement. Critics, such as Meredith Rose from the open internet proponent Public Knowledge, argue that the bill would create a \"sweeping infrastructure for censorship\" and threaten user privacy, risking collateral damage to the open web. Brandon Butler, Executive Director of Re:Create, a coalition dedicated to balanced copyright legislation and a free and open internet, also raised concerns about the fast-track site-blocking scheme and its potential to undermine legal channels and disrupt small businesses, nonprofits, and internet users globally. The bill was sent to the House Judiciary Committee for discussion and its potential passage in the full House remains to be seen.",
  "summary": "The American Copyright Protection Act would apply to ISPs, DNS providers, and VPN services with 100,000 monthly subscribers in the US. Congressional Bill Would Require Internet Providers to Block Piracy Sites Travis Bland",
  "key_points": [
    "California Republican Darrell Issa proposes bill to block foreign piracy sites.",
    "American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 aims to simplify copyright holders' court orders.",
    "ISPs, DNS providers, VPNs with 100k+ US subscribers subject to legislation."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}