AN ILLEGAL streaming network has been dismantled after an international law enforcement operation.
There were 29 raids around the world, including the UK, targeted at criminal streaming organisations.
Operation Switch Off was a coordinated international effort led by the District Prosecutor’s Office of Catania and Italian State Police.
Law enforcement identified 31 suspects after raids in 14 countries including the UK, Spain, Romania, Canada and India.
The investigation revealed the illegal piracy sites were being operated at scale by a criminal organisation which was raking in millions of euros in profit each month.
It resulted in illegal online TV platforms used by millions of viewers being taken offline.
WATCH THIS!
Free sports streaming service adds TEN new channels including ‘household names’
SUNEMPLOYMENT
Free AI training you can take as firms seek professionals who understand tech
It is thought the service was mainly used for online sports piracy, with the crackdown coming just weeks before the Winter Olympics in Milan.
Ed McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer at sports streaming platform DAZN, welcomed the action.
He told publication Advanced Television: “Operation Switch Off demonstrates the power of coordinated global action in confronting large-scale piracy networks that damage the entire sports ecosystem.
“Illegal IPTV services don’t just steal from rights holders – they undermine investment in the sports and entertainment audiences love, and they expose fans to fraud and cyber threats.”
As a result of the operation, six servers outside of Italy were removed by police.
Antipiracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment heralded Switch Off as an example of successful “cross-border cooperation” to tackle the “harm” of illegal online streaming.
