Congressional Bill Would Require Internet Providers to Block Piracy Sites

US Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, has proposed a bill to force internet service providers, domain name resolution services, and virtual private network services to block foreign piracy websites. The bill would make it easier for copyright holders, like record labels and publishing houses, to serve ISPs and other online service entities with court orders to block illegal sharing, according to a report from Ars Technica. While the full text of the American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 hasn’t officially hit Congress’ bill tracking site yet, it has been circulating among lawmakers. The proposal would allow a copyright owner to ask a court to declare that a site is being used for foreign piracy based on a “preponderance of the evidence.” Following that declaration, the holder could petition the court to require network operators to block the site, according to the report. The bill would apply to ISPs, DNS providers, and VPN services that have at least 100,000 monthly subscribers in the US, giving them 14 days to file objections in most cases. However, there is also a provision for quicker blocking of “time-sensitive events” like livestreaming or content pirated within 2...