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Households using modified Fire Sticks to stream premium content for free could be in for a shock, as they may start receiving warning letters, according to an anti-piracy chief’s interview with The Sun. This comes after the largest illegal streaming bust by police and IP protection organisation FACT.
Kevin Sharp, CEO of FACT, explained that his organisation is increasing efforts to combat illegal streaming, aiming to turn lawbreakers into paying customers. When asked if individuals can expect written warnings and police visits, alongside distributors of illegal gadgets, he confirmed: “Yeah, so we’ve done this before.”
“He went on to explain how they had previously targeted a large distributor of illegal content, sending notices to all their customers.” Sharp emphasised that the aim is to make illegal streamers aware of the potential criminal activities they might be supporting by purchasing ‘jailbroken’ gadgets.
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However, only the worst offenders, such as large-scale distributors, will face prison time. “Our desire is not to prosecute everybody or arrest everybody,” he added. Instead, the focus is on educating people about the consequences of paying for illegal schemes, encouraging them to pay for legitimate services. He warned that some of these operations have links to organised crime, which is why those prosecuted often receive lengthy prison sentences.”
FACT gathers intelligence from Crime Stoppers, an anonymous crime-reporting charity. Sharp, an ex-City of London Police detective, disclosed that individuals often inform acquaintances they suspect of illegal streaming.
Whether it’s a prying neighbour or a worried relative. Following high-profile arrests for illegal streaming, Sharp noted an influx of tips to Crime Stoppers.
FACT also scours social media to track down both distributors and their clients, employing “creative software” to identify offenders. Their partners, including Sky, Premier League, TNT Sports, and Virgin Media, have unique ways of detecting content theft.
Yet, Sharp, who formerly led Interpol’s economic crime division, kept mum about his agency’s additional tactics for catching illegal streamers. He was equally secretive about the functions or targets of the “creative software.”
“Our investigators now are highly skilled in examining what goes on online and where to look for certain things,” he stated. There’s quite a lot of things we do, which I don’t really want to tell the public… for obvious reasons.”
“I don’t want to give away any secrets.”
