Greece busts illegal streaming network, prosecutors charge dozens of subscribers

Greek police busted an illicit streaming service and arrested a 48-year-old man running it. In a major crackdown on piracy, prosecutors are also charging 68 individuals who were found to be subscribers to pirated content. Even VPN use didn’t protect them.

The Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate of the Hellenic Police announced the shutdown of an illegal IPTV (television over the internet) reselling network that sold subscriptions at prices of €50 for 3 months or €100 for 6 months.

During the raid on Santorini island, police seized an IPTV device that had been modified to allow the unauthorized viewing of multiple premium channels from at least two companies without a valid subscription, as well as a laptop, a storage device, a mobile phone, and €4,820.

“The defendant possessed illegal equipment for the viewing of subscription-based and other audiovisual material, which he offered for sale in exchange for payment,” the translation of the press release reads.

The illicit streaming service operator had direct access to a “panel” platform he used for managing illegal subscriptions, while simultaneously providing his “clients” with in-person or remote technical support.

However, what marks this case as a major escalation in a crackdown on piracy is the prosecution of the service subscribers.

“A formal case under regular procedure was filed against 68 individuals – end users – for violation of copyright law,” Greek police said.

A new Greek anti-infringement legal framework came into effect just a couple of months ago, and, according to the new law, end users risk fines for accessing pirated content, starting at €750 for individual users, increasing to €5,000 if the use is commercial, i.e., in a hotel or cafe, according to a report by TorrentFreak

“The action marks a shift in Greek law enforcement’s approach to IPTV piracy,” TorrentFreak said.

Local media in Greece reported that hundreds of pirated content users, including cafes, restaurants, and hotels, suddenly lost access to the streaming service

Many of these subscribers believed that using a VPN would protect them. However, the authorities managed to identify their digital traces,” protothema.gr writes. While those traces are not detailed, it is likely that users can be traced back using their payment data.

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