EU Draft Anti‑Piracy Rules Could Compel VPNs to Monitor Traffic, Industry Warns

The European Commission is drafting a set of continent‑wide anti‑piracy measures that could obligate virtual private network (VPN) providers to police the content accessed through their services. The proposal, part of a broader Copyright Package slated for adoption by 2027, would extend the kind of blocking orders already in force in France and Spain to the entire EU.

Under the draft, authorities would be able to issue blocking orders that require VPN operators to identify and filter traffic destined for websites that host copyrighted material without permission. A trade association representing the tech sector has warned that such mandates would force VPNs to inspect user data, undermining the privacy protections that are central to their business models.

France and Spain have previously mandated that VPN services block access to a list of pirate sites, citing the need to protect creators’ rights. Critics argue that the approach is technically difficult and may lead to over‑blocking, where legitimate content is inadvertently censored. Moreover, the requirement to monitor encrypted traffic could expose VPNs to legal liability and increase operational costs.

Advocates of the proposal contend that it addresses a longstanding loophole that allows users to bypass national copyright enforcement by routing traffic through VPNs. They argue that without comparable obligations for these services, the effectiveness of existing anti‑piracy laws is severely limited.

Legal experts note that the move raises complex questions about the balance between intellectual‑property enforcement and digital privacy. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes strict rules on processing personal data, and any mandatory traffic inspection could trigger conflicts with those protections.

Industry groups have called for a transparent impact assessment, emphasizing that any requirement for VPNs to filter traffic must be narrowly tailored, proportionate, and subject to independent oversight. They also suggest alternative solutions, such as expanding notice‑and‑takedown mechanisms, rather than imposing blanket blocking duties on privacy‑focused services.

The Commission is expected to release a formal proposal later this year, after a period of public consultation. Stakeholders from the tech sector, rights holders, and consumer‑rights organisations are likely to submit competing viewpoints, shaping the final shape of the legislation. The outcome will determine whether VPN providers across Europe will have to trade anonymity for compliance, or whether the bloc will seek a different path to curb online piracy.