Davidson Introduces Bill to Block Enforcement of Foreign Censorship Orders Against Americans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, September 8^th, 2026, U.S. Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced the Halting Overseas Mandates from Extraterritorially Reaching Onto National Territory (HOMEFRONT) Act of 2026 to establish new protections against the enforcement of foreign censorship orders in the United States.

"Foreign governments have no business policing the speech of American citizens," said Rep. Davidson. "Foreign regulators are using fines and legal threats to pressure American companies into censoring speech protected by the First Amendment. The HOMEFRONT Act would make sure American courts and agencies cannot be used to enforce those penalties and give Americans subject to them the right to challenge them in federal court. No American should ever have to answer to a foreign censor for exercising rights guaranteed by our Constitution."

"The HOMEFRONT Act sends a clear message: foreign censorship laws should not be allowed to reach across our borders and punish Americans for exercising their First Amendment rights," said Amy Bos, Vice President of Government Affairs at NetChoice. "The bill rightfully blocks U.S. courts from enforcing foreign censorship judgments against protected speech, shielding Americans from extradition for such conduct, and giving them a private right of action to fight back in federal court. We thank Congressman Davidson for standing up for free expression and protecting the open internet from foreign governments that seek to impose their censorship regimes on Americans."

The HOMEFRONT Act:

• Prohibits any American court from recognizing or enforcing a foreign censorship law that is inconsistent with the First Amendment
• Bars government cooperation in enforcing or investigating a foreign censorship law that is inconsistent with the First Amendment
• Bars extradition from the US for violating a foreign censorship law that is inconsistent with the First Amendment
• Provides a private right of action for a US person targeted by a foreign censorship law to sue a foreign government or regulator in a US court

Read the full text of the bill HERE.

Background:

Foreign governments, such as the UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom) have sought to enforce judgments entered pursuant to UK censorship laws against American companies for speech hosted on American soil, which have included fines and imprisonment. The UK's Online Safety Act, which entered into force last year, purports to give Ofcom jurisdiction over essentially any online service in the world, whether based in the UK or not.

In an April 6, 2026, response to a Freedom of Information request, Ofcom confirmed that it had issued 197 Section 100 information notices to businesses with U.S. addresses. While a couple of companies fought back, almost all of the targets quietly complied with Ofcom's orders. Unfortunately, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act broadly grants foreign governments immunity from suit for this behavior.

The House Judiciary Committee has thoroughly documented other instances of European and Brazilian efforts to coerce American companies into complying with foreign censorship laws. The HOMEFRONT Act would prevent American courts and government agencies from enforcing foreign censorship orders against speech protected by the First Amendment.

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