The rise of online streaming in recent years has massively expanded our entertainment options. Just a few years ago, it took an expensive cable bill or expensive movie tickets to enjoy this amazing content.
But the Internet is changing all that. IPTV platforms are making it easier for you to access loads of content free. While some streaming platforms may charge you a small fee, it’s nowhere near the hefty fees associated with cable.
However, over the last few years, we have also seen anti-piracy coalition target apps involved in content streaming. We will go more into this in this article and give you a few pointers on how you can protect yourself.
Why is the Anti-Piracy Coalition Targeting Streaming Apps?
Before we get to the details of how you can protect yourself from anti-piracy lobbyists and law enforcement, it’s important to note why this is a problem in the first place.
Every movie or TV show out there is owned by certain companies. These are called copyright owners. It’s understood that any content cannot be viewed, reproduced, or even redistributed without the exclusive permission of the copyright owners.
But it’s far more complicated than that. Asking a copyright owner for permission to distribute or stream their content often means paying for the rights to do so. This then makes the idea of watching such content more expensive.
Unlike cable TV where streaming illegal content can be easily tracked and shutdown, the Internet is a little bit more sophisticated. It would require massive technical expertise and manpower to track all the people streaming illegal content and stop them. This is why the biggest share of illegal streaming is done online using apps.
Over the years, the number of people using streaming apps has gone up massively. Anti-piracy coalitions look at this growth and simply see a missed opportunity to make money. Don’t get it twisted. These coalitions won’t target apps because somehow they want to enforce copyright laws.
The anti-piracy coalition targets apps because they want to make money from you every time you stream online.
Are Streaming Apps in Danger?
It’s very likely that over the next few years, we’ll see more effort by these coalitions to get as much money out of streaming apps as possible.
But it’s not something you should worry about right now. Yes, anti-piracy coalition targets apps every day. However, this isn’t by any means an indication that the streaming world online is about to crumble. But why is this so?
The technology that’s used to stream content online these days has evolved in leaps and bounds. Even if anti-piracy coalitions do their best, it would be impossible to remove all streaming apps from the Internet. For every app they fight and remove, two or more will pop up the next day. And the reason for this is actually very easy to understand.
There’s no one out there who wants to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars every month to watch content.
If there’s a chance to watch the same shows and movies for free or for a smaller fee, then most people will take it.
Are Users in Danger?
Let’s now get to the most important section of this post. We know that the anti-piracy coalition targets apps because they believe if they can stop them, then they will dismantle the illegal streaming industry.
Well, to some extent the thinking behind this is true. After all, if there are no apps left to stream, then it means access to copyright-protected materials will be harder.
But for many years, these coalitions have failed against the apps. They have even partnered with law enforcement all over the world and still, the number of streaming apps has grown day by day. From this, you can clearly see that defeating the apps is the hardest job.
So, the next simple thing is to target users like you and me. These are basically people who would be easily intimidated by these coalitions and may not be able to fight back.
How Are Users Targeted
Anti-piracy coalitions can target users in a number of ways. However, this will all depend on how much data they get from the streaming apps they’ve seized.
We have seen unprecedented collaboration between law enforcement and these collations. Several apps have been sized and all user data associated with them taken over by the cops.
This data is then used to identify people who used the seized app to stream illegal content and target them as part of the antipiracy campaign. A few years ago, this kind of thing wasn’t that common.
Cops would simply target the streaming apps and leave it at that. But it seems the times are changing. Even users can be investigated and punished for streaming content online.
What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?
The great news is that there are some measures you can put in place to protect yourself from anti-piracy coalitions. First, ensure that your personal info is kept private every time you go online.
Remember the police can only target you if they get your personal information from the streaming apps they have seized. If indeed those apps don’t have that personal information, then it means they cannot target you.
There are of course many ways to protect your privacy but one that always works is the idea of using a VPN when you go online. VPNs like IPVanish will help you mask your online activity and stream all the content you want privately.
Privacy in online streaming has never been more important as it is now. We have seen anti-piracy coalitions target apps and this won’t stop anytime soon. It’s time to get ready.
Let us know in the comments how you can protect your information as you surf online. If you have any questions, feel free to also leave them below!
