The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has asked European regulators to oblige VPN providers, content delivery networks, hosting services and search engines to help enforce piracy blocks and court orders. If adopted, the measure could affect gamers who depend on these tools for privacy, latency reduction and region unlocking.
The MPA—backed by major studios and streaming platforms—wants the European Union to extend anti-piracy obligations beyond internet service providers. Under the proposal, VPNs, reverse proxy providers, CDNs, hosting services and search engines would be required to cooperate with rights holders and court orders to disrupt access to infringing content.
This initiative follows the European Commission’s 2023 recommendation for a comprehensive piracy impact assessment, with a formal review slated for November 2025. Rights holders are submitting feedback during this policy window to shape potential regulations that could broaden enforcement tools against online piracy.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Motion Picture Association |
| Policy Status | Proposals ongoing; EU review due Nov 2025 |
| Scope | VPNs, CDNs, hosting providers, search engines |
| Potential Impact | All online platforms; PC, console and cloud gaming |
VPNs serve multiple non-infringing purposes for gamers, including reducing lag, bypassing geo-restrictions and protecting against distributed denial-of-service attacks. Should providers be forced to log activity or block access to specified domains, legitimate users may face new connectivity barriers and reduced privacy safeguards.
Compelling VPN and intermediary cooperation would represent a significant expansion of the studios’ anti-piracy arsenal. While it may close existing circumvention routes, it also risks undermining core privacy protections that internet users—and particularly gamers—rely on. VPN companies built their reputations on anonymity and minimal logging; compliance requirements could erode that trust and prompt legal challenges or market pushback.
The MPA’s proposal signals a strategic shift toward deputising digital intermediaries in Europe’s fight against piracy. As the EU assessment approaches, stakeholders across the gaming and tech sectors will monitor developments closely to gauge how far privacy and enforcement priorities can be balanced.