Shocking revelation: police dismantle pirate IPTV provider offering Sky TV and reveal users' identities thanks to seized evidence!

A man suspected of operating a pirate IPTV service in Italy risks becoming a guinea pig for prosecution and conviction under Italy's new anti-piracy law. Police shut down the provider following an investigation into piracy of Sky TV channels. Referring to the equipment seized during the raid, police say "it will be possible to identify the names of the end users".

The Italian government, legislators, telecommunications regulator AGCOM, broadcasters and soccer leagues invested considerable resources to get the new law passed in July.

While one aspect of the law aims to block access to pirate services, another toughens penalties for those caught supplying illegal streams and customers who buy subscriptions to watch them.

Financial police raid pirate IPTV provider

In what could be the first major action following the introduction of the new law, Italy's Guardia di Finanza (GdF) claims to have shut down an IPTV provider in the Italian town of Canosa di Puglia.

"Barletta Group financiers, as part of an initiative dedicated to the fight against TV piracy, uncovered an illegal transmission center for SKY platform channels, following in-depth investigative activity," reports the GoF (financial police).

After being named in connection with similar operations in 2022, Fiamme Gialle investigators are also credited here for the discovery of a server room in Canosa.

Seized equipment

According to the GoF, the work of investigators from the Barletta Provincial Command led to a search and the discovery of five powerful computers, 33 decoders used to acquire the original broadcasts, and 12 video encoders used in the rebroadcasting stage.

In addition to computers, a tangle of cables and nine power adapters precariously plugged into a single extension lead, one of the images provided by GoF reveals a screen displaying a purple interface. When enlarged, the image provides more details on how the service works.

The text and image interface suggest that the sources of at least some of the original feeds were satellite broadcasts decoded on site using relatively inexpensive receivers configured for card sharing (CCCAM).

The image below is not associated with the search, but shows the interface of a similar decoder when connected to a map-sharing server; the one in the police image has been disconnected.

In the font image, the name of the card-sharing provider is visible, but too blurred to be identified with certainty at the available resolution.

Set-top boxes, on the other hand, appear to be GT Media V8 devices, most of which still have the protective film in place. They're cheap and widely available.

The equipment was fully operational

It's unclear whether the suspect was taken by surprise or was busy elsewhere, but the GoF says the equipment was fully operational when the agents arrived.

"The equipment identified, functional and operational at the time of the financiers' access, was used to illicitly transmit pay-TV content to thousands of users, who are currently being identified," says GoF.

The operator has been reported for copyright infringement and, if found guilty, will be subject to enhanced penalties under the new law. Police suggest that the provider's customers could also be prosecuted; thanks to the "seized materials, it will be possible to identify the names of end users and consider possible prosecution against them", notes GoF.

Italy has a lot of experience in prosecuting suppliers, but much less on the consumer side. For members of the public who pirate occasionally and rely on the media for information and advice, legal details and nuances tend to be lacking. As a result, the next few months could represent a steep learning curve for the less technophile.

For those who have signed up to the service with their real name, accurate contact details and/or easily traceable payment methods, regrets could follow if the authorities take action.