Police are set to visit the homes of people they suspect are streaming TV shows illegally as part of a major crackdown on the crime.
A thousand households will be visited this week, in the wake of raids carried out by West Mercia Police against a UK-based illegal streaming service that offers popular sports and entertainment programmes via so-called 'fire sticks', modified boxes and subscriptions. Police have identified customers of the service as part of an ongoing investigation, and will be knocking on their doors to issue a warning that they could face prosecution.
Police have joined forces with anti-piracy investigators from FACT to carry out 'Operation Raider', in which they will potentially be serving people with notices to stop illegal streaming immediately. The new clampdown is aimed at those trying to watch Premier League games, football in Europe and other sports and films on the cheap, The Mirror reports.
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Households who have been identified are likely to be warned that they will face serious consequences if they continue to watch shows illegally, in one of the biggest ever crackdowns on piracy in the TV and film industry. Major organisations including the Premier League and broadcasters Sky, BT Sport and Amazon, have supported the move.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Robinson, of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, said: "Accessing films, TV series and live sports events from unauthorised sources is illegal, can expose consumers to risks such as data theft and malware, and can help fund organised criminal groups."
FACT chief executive Kieron Sharp added: "We would like to thank the Government Agency Intelligence Network (GAIN), the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), West Mercia Police, and other police forces across the country, for their support to help ensure that the public are made aware of the dangers of using illegal streaming services and, more importantly, that they understand that there is the risk of criminal prosecution."
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