European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) has successfully ousted an illegal crypto Netflix streaming service with no lesser than 2 million users. The illegal crypto Netflix streaming service operated as a legal firm with its customer service team, making around $17 million through crypto payment and ban transfer.
The illegal crypto Netflix streaming service has been operating for more than five years, making counterfeits of over 40,000 movies, documentaries, etc. on Netflix and Amazon while it was operating and being caught by Europol.
Amidst all the arrests, other exhibits traced to the illegal service provider group were exotic cars, property, and $5.4 million in crypto coins. Europol also had to freeze another $1.2 million traced to the suspects in different bank accounts.
Europol nabs illegal crypto Netflix streaming service operators
Authorities were able to find and nab the illegal service providers thanks to the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown orders by governments. People locked down in their homes patronize online streaming platforms more with the real Netflix gaining 15 million more users in Q1 2020 only.
Unfortunately, the pandemic leads to rising also in piracy. Visit these pirated sites also increased by over 40 percent in the U.S.
The illegal crypto Netflix streaming service operated mainly in Spain and used other websites in Europe and developing countries to allow clients to access TV channels for cheap prices.
European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation said these operators illegally tapped into the signal of copyright holders. They used the computer servers to gain access to the content of legally operating broadcast enterprises and then illegally redistributed the intercepted content.
Currently, the IP address and server of the group have been disconnected and shutdown, respectively.
Way out of illegal streaming service
Naturally, with the hike in the number of viewers Netflix recorded in Q1 2020 alone, some things are bound to go wrong when surge like that occurs. The main reason could be as a result of price hike. It could lead to viewers to seek alternate channels that are cheaper without minding if they are legal or not.
Reportedly, blockchain could be a solution to the problem. Businesses in their manifolds are using blockchain’s immutable faculties to anti-piracy systems.
