📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Two U.S. Site-Blocking Bills Compete Over VPN Rules and ISP Liability
https://torrentfreak.com/two-u-s-site-blocking-bills-compete-over-vpn-rules-and-isp-liability/
### The Great Site-Blocking Showdown
After a decade of avoiding the topic, U.S. lawmakers are finally diving headfirst into the messy world of internet piracy. Two competing bills have landed in Congress, and while they both aim to let courts order the blocking of foreign pirate sites, they couldn’t be more different in how they treat the companies doing the heavy lifting.
On one side, we have Rep. Darrell Issa’s ACPA, which is essentially a “pro-provider” playbook. It targets VPNs and larger ISPs, but offers them a massive carrot: a broad liability shield that protects them from copyright lawsuits related to these sites. It even mandates that rightsholders reimburse providers for the costs of compliance, including staff salaries.
On the other side is the DEFEND IP Act, a more aggressive version that skips VPNs entirely but pulls in more small ISPs. This bill offers no broad immunity for providers and leaves cost reimbursement up to a judge’s whim.
The TL;DR on the differences:
- VPNs: Included in the ACPA; excluded from DEFEND IP.
- Liability: ACPA offers a massive shield for ISPs; DEFEND IP offers nothing.
- The Bill: ACPA makes it easier to block sites; DEFEND IP sets a much higher bar for what qualifies as a “pirate site.”
It’s a classic legislative tug-of-war between protecting intellectual property and ensuring the internet’s infrastructure doesn’t get caught in the crossfire.