First Utah, Now Congress: A New US Bill Would Force VPNs to Block Piracy Sites
gizmodo.com Sep 19, 2026

First Utah, Now Congress: A New US Bill Would Force VPNs to Block Piracy Sites

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

A new U.S. bill, H.R. 10364, was introduced in Congress two weeks after Utah’s SB 73, targeting VPNs directly. The legislation would grant copyright holders a fast‑track judicial process to obtain blocking orders that apply to ISPs, DNS resolvers, and VPN services. A federal judge would determine whether a foreign site qualifies as a piracy site, and covered providers would be required to prevent U.S. access. The bill’s language explicitly names “VPN,” marking the first federal law to mandate VPN blocking. The proposal follows Utah’s narrow age‑verification focus and joins other congressional efforts like H.R. 791 and the Senate’s Block BEARD.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · The bill threatens to erode VPNs’ core privacy promise, turning them into regulated access points.
  • · It also raises questions about jurisdiction and enforcement for providers operating outside the U.S.