Police are set for a fresh crackdown on Hesgoal and other illegal streamers as they will reportedly visit 1,000 homes in the UK this week.
Fans were left shocked when popular service Hesgoal was taken down last month as users were met with a warning from Homeland Security and the Department of Justice upon visiting the site saying the domain was seized. Piracy is an issue prevalent in sport and especially the English Premier League with sites such as Hesgoal attracting millions of monthly visitors looking to stream live content for free but users were threatened with criminal prosecution after it was taken down.
It has since resurfaced elsewhere on the internet but an exclusive report from The Mirror details a fresh crackdown that could threaten other avenues of illegal streaming and providers of modified "fire sticks." It claims police have joined forces with anti-piracy investigators FACT in a new initiative branded "Operation Raider" which aims to serve notices to providers AND users who will be warned of serious consequences if they carry on watching in one of the biggest clampdowns ever on illegal streaming.
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.”
And 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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