The boom in streaming content without signing up for a premium subscription continues, and it’s not hard to see why. Millions of homes are now thought to be watching movies and sports illegally with many paying a small one-off fee to access content online. Prices can be as little as £50 per year and include channels such as Sky Sports and Sky Cinema. With so many people switching over to devices such as so-called ‘dodgy’ Fire TV Sticks, it’s become a serious issue for content providers such as Sky. Streaming illegally also comes with huge risks, including being exposed to vicious money-stealing malware.
Now, in a bid to stop criminals supplying these streams, and keep homes safe, police say they have managed to disrupt a major online content provider.
In the latest crackdown, two people in their 30s have been arrested in connection with an investigation into an illegal streaming service.
Detectives from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) searched two residential addresses in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham earlier this month.
A 30-year-old man, who they suspect ran the illegal streaming service, and a 32-year-old woman who is suspected of distributing material infringing copyright and receiving criminal property were both taken into custody.
An investigation by PIPCU suggests that the man and woman received significant profits derived from the service. Along with making those arrests, content servers have also been seized, which means they are no longer transmitting streams to those who may have signed up.
Police say it’s believed that this activity has caused major disruption to a number of pirate services.
Speaking about the latest arrests, Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said:
“This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations. This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative and entertainment industries, money that supports thousands of technical and support staff. At the same time, it exposes end users to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware.”
And Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, added: “We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation.
“We will continue to work alongside the police and industry partners to tackle piracy and disrupt the criminal networks behind it. This action helps to keep consumers safe from the serious risks that piracy can pose to devices and personal property.”
Although it’s unlikely that homes watching illegal streams will ever face prosecution, it’s worth remembering that using dodgy Fire TV Sticks can expose people to malware and inappropriate content. It’s also often funding criminal gangs so whilst it might seem like a good deal it does not come risk free.
