US Republican Representative Darrell Issa has proposed legislation requiring major internet service providers, DNS providers and VPNs to block foreign websites primarily associated with copyright piracy. The bill would make it easier for copyright holders to obtain court orders, addressing complaints that existing notice-and-takedown procedures are too slow—particularly during live sports broadcasts and other time-sensitive releases. Supporters argue piracy damages legitimate businesses and can finance criminal networks, while opponents warn the measure would create a broad censorship system.

Under the proposed American Copyright Protection Act of 2026, providers with at least 100,000 US monthly users or subscribers could be ordered to block sites after a court declaration based on a “preponderance of the evidence”. Providers would generally have 14 days to object, although judges could shorten deadlines for urgent cases; root nameserver operators, top-level domain registries and many public Wi-Fi networks would be excluded. Digital-rights groups say the process is one-sided, risks mistaken or abusive blocking, threatens privacy and could cause wider disruption to the open internet.