Three Pirate IPTV Operators Arrested and Tens of Warnings Issued in UK Operation

• Anti-piracy organization FACT and Sky UK Limited teamed up for another sweep across the UK.
• The operation targeted pirate IPTV operators who used altered Firestick devices.
• As a result, three people were arrested, and another 40 got off with a legal warning.

Anti-piracy group FACT and various rightsholders, including the British Sky broadcaster and telecommunications company, have assisted UK police in combating illegal streaming and the use of Firestick devices with unauthorized modifications, as per a Wednesday announcement.

Helped by FACT and the organization's partners, UK police executed three warrants in recent weeks that resulted in house searches and the arrest of three individuals – a 42-year-old man in Nottingham, a 51-year-old man from Widnes, and a 52-year-old man in Stockton-on-Tees. All three suspects were soon released, as the investigation is ongoing.

Also, 40 people who allegedly operated pirate IPTV services were served with official warnings. FACT and the police delivered the cease-and-desist notices either via email or in person.

The UK police confiscated digital devices and ‘fully loaded’ smart TV devices or Firesticks during house searches. These are currently undergoing forensic examination by FACT. 

The sweep occurred in London, South East England, West Midlands, North West, North East, North Wales, and Scotland, as part of a larger campaign that aims to disrupt piracy operations and targets individuals providing unauthorized access to premium TV content, including movies, TV, and live sports events.

Several people have received multi-year prison sentences recently in the UK, where IPTV piracy enforcement actions include remote warnings, house visits, and arrests.

Additionally, Sky removed over 3,000 listings and social media posts from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X that sold illegal IPTV subscriptions and ‘loaded’ Firesticks in the UK and Ireland since June.

FACT’s partners also include The Premier League, TNT Sports, and Virgin Media.

Recently, three pirate website owners in Vietnam were found guilty of copyright infringement. They each got suspended convictions and thousands of dollars in fines.