MORE dodgy box operators are being identified than ever before with thousands of users affected in a new crackdown.
There were 13 legal notices delivered via post, email and in person to dodgy box providers and operators ordering them to stop their illegal streaming services.
The notices were served in Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Offaly, Limerick, Louth, Clare, Westmeath and Laois, with the operation successfully resulting in the shut down of social media pages, services and subscriptions being stopped and paid settlements agreed.
Kieron Sharp, Chairman of FACT, has vowed to take action to “identify and take action against Illegal IPTV service providers.”
He said: “Together with our partners we will continue to identify and take action against Illegal IPTV service providers.
“They are breaking the law, making criminal profits and putting consumers at real risk of malware, data loss and identity theft.
“We want to protect consumers from these risks and operations such as this ensure the message goes out.
“It is not scaremongering; these are real criminal actions which consumers and their families are exposed to.
“These investigations and operations will continue this new year.”
Since March 2023, almost 70 illegal services across the country have been shut down.
FACT supports the consumer campaign BeStreamWise which aims to educate customers on the risks associated with owning one of these illegal boxes.
This latest crackdown is the fourth wave of action to date, with operations to continue into 2025.
The 13 providers were issued with the notices in December 2024.
The efforts have had a major impact on the “piracy landscape” in Ireland.
This has seen tens of thousands of end-users who would have watched the streams no longer able to access the illegal content.
Offences relating to these illegal streaming services and devices are being taken seriously with harsh sentencing being implemented.
In July 2024 a man, 42, was sentenced to 16 months in prison by Naas Circuit Criminal Court.
The man received a the jail time for operating an illegal dodgy box TV streaming service, King Kong Media and possession of over €900,000 in criminal proceeds.
The proceedings followed an investigation initiated by Sky’s Anti-Piracy team.
And in October 2024 a Derry man was sentenced to four years at Omagh Crown Court, for running an illegal streaming TV company.
He pleaded guilty to several fraud charges dating back to 2016 and his wife, 34, was also sentenced for crimes associated to her husband’s affairs.
