ITV has renewed its anti-piracy partnership with Friend MTS for two years, expanding monitoring to major ITV4 events while maintaining round-the-clock protection across broadcast and streaming platforms. The service detects unauthorized streams and helps remove pirated-content links.
Dutch flight instructor Sam Guichelaar received a copyright warning from Starlink less than two days after torrenting an episode of Dexter: Resurrection. Starlink says repeated violations can lead to suspended or terminated service; Guichelaar plans to use a VPN and switch providers.
Global traffic to piracy websites fell 5.72% in 2024 to 216.3 billion visits, but television remained the largest category. Film piracy dropped 18%, while publishing was the only category to grow; streaming and downloads accounted for nearly equal shares.
Dutch broadcasters, streaming services and industry groups are urging the government to coordinate tougher enforcement against illegal IPTV, including action against providers, resellers and payment networks, and to improve cooperation and consumer awareness. They warn of harm to media investment and users’ security.
AAPA estimates 34.4 million people in the EU, UK and Switzerland used illicit IPTV in 2025, generating €2.6 billion for illegal providers and costing legitimate pay-TV firms up to €5.8 billion in lost revenue. The group urges faster, coordinated anti-piracy measures.
The US Chamber of Commerce urged Congress to address digital piracy as part of a wider cybercrime and national security threat. It called for hearings, stronger enforcement tools, international cooperation, and expanded public-private partnerships.
A UK study warns that illegal streaming exposes viewers to fraud, identity theft, malware and potentially organised crime; 37% of active users surveyed had encountered harmful or unsafe content. Researchers estimate fraud and theft cost these users about £270 million annually, while UK consumers spend around £1.2 billion a year on pirated content.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cable operators and audiovisual rights groups are urging online platforms and advertisers to speed up the removal of ads for illegal IPTV services. Discussions focused on clearer reporting procedures, but no platforms or implementation timetable were named.
Illegal streaming costs UK broadcasters an estimated £1.35 billion annually, including losses from sports, films and television. The study estimates wider effects equivalent to 10,400 jobs and £366 million in lost tax revenue, potentially reducing investment in production and sport.
A WPI Economics study estimates that 31% of UK adults accessed illegal streams in the previous three months, rising to 51% among 18–24-year-olds. Films and TV were more commonly pirated than live sports, and social media was the most common access route.
At the US Chamber of Commerce's Digital Piracy Symposium, leaders emphasized that digital piracy has evolved into a significant threat to consumers and businesses, necessitating a comprehensive approach to enforcement and policy that addresses its broader implications beyond copyright infringement.
UK anti-piracy organisation FACT says enforcement activity over the summer has resulted in prison sentences, arrests and financial penalties against operators and users of illegal streaming services.
