US bill threatens to turn your VPN into a piracy blocklist

A new US proposed law would force internet providers and VPN services to block "foreign piracy sites" via expedited court orders The legislation would apply to ISPs, DNS resolvers, and any VPN provider with at least 100,000 monthly US subscribers Digital rights groups warn the fast-track legal process risks massive overreach, citing similar policies in Europe A newly introduced bill in the US House of Representatives is threatening to fundamentally change how virtual private networks operate within the country.

If passed, the legislation would force VPN providers to actively block access to piracy websites, turning vital privacy tunnels into heavily filtered exit ramps.

The American Copyright Protection Act (ACPA), formally numbered H.R.

10364 , was introduced by Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) on September 16, 2026.

The bill aims to give copyright holders a fast-track judicial process to obtain blocking orders against platforms accused of copyright infringement.

Crucially, the ACPA explicitly names VPN services alongside traditional broadband providers and DNS resolvers as entities that must enforce these blocklists.

For users who rely on the best VPN software to ensure unrestricted, unmonitored internet access, this legislation poses a direct threat to the core promise of the technology.

The blocking obligations would apply to any VPN service with at least 100,000 monthly US subscribers.

This threshold catches almost all major consumer VPN brands, effectively forcing the industry's biggest players to implement nationwide web filters or risk severe legal consequences.

Laura Tyrylyte, privacy advocate at NordVPN, told TechRadar that there are thousands of VPN solutions available for users worldwide; however, "these blocking measures primarily target reputable, paid VPN providers, leaving free VPN services largely untouched." "Free VPNs are often harder to regulate, and since users who seek to avoid paying for content are unlikely to pay for a VPN either, these services will continue to operate without any impact," she added. (Image credit: Future) NEW : Leave No Trace — A weekly newsletter on digital privacy and online surveillance.

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