End of free Sky, Netflix, Prime Video streams? EU launches major piracy crackdown

Illegal live stream viewers have been put on red alert, with free pirated Sky TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video content finally facing a total ban. This week the EU has moved a step closer to seriously hampering the spread of illegal sports live streams as well as pirated movies and boxsets. This is thanks to the Digital Services Act (DSA), with a draft proposal being adopted by law makers in Brussels.

The DSA includes a number of anti-piracy measures, such as speedy takedown processes for pirated live streams which sees the offending content taken down within 30 minutes.

While the DSA also ushers in a takedown deadline for other illegal content, with this material having to be removed with 72 hours, according to a post by TorrentFreak.

Elsewhere, the proposed legislation includes a “trusted flaggers” system where certain individuals will get preferred treatment when trying to get content taken down.

Ahead of voting by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) earlier this week, there was a lively debate on the merits of the measures.

Those opposed include members of the Greens, with concerns that the proposals could lead to more upload filters.

While copyright holders have previously said the DSA measures didn’t go far enough.

In the lead-up to the voting, an open letter was written to the European Parliament, warning about the risks of one aspect of the DSA – the “trusted flaggers” scheme.

The letter, which was written by bodies including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said: “Platforms should not be forced to apply one set of rules to ordinary users and a more permissive set of rules to influencer accounts and politicians. First-class treatment for sources and notifications of non-independent authorities or commercial entities should be rejected.”

However, despite the pushback JURI voted in favour of the draft legislation.

There is still some way to go before the DSA gets adopted into law, but this latest development has moved things a step closer.

Speaking about the measures, the European Parliament said: “The Digital Services Act significantly improves the mechanisms for the removal of illegal content and for the effective protection of users’ fundamental rights online, including the freedom of speech.

“It also creates a stronger public oversight of online platforms, in particular for platforms that reach more than 10% of the EU’s population.”

As always with internet piracy, the easiest thing to do to avoid falling foul of the authorities is simply accessing content legally and paying for it.

Providers such as Sky and Virgin Media regularly offer introductory deals that help those signing up for the first time save considerable money.

And given the risks of watching content illegally simply paying for content as you’re meant to can save you time, money and stress in the long-run.

This was highlighted perfectly by news that emerged recently of Virgin Media customers being sent letters demanding money after illegally pirating one Hollywood blockbuster.

And it’s believed the money needed to settle the money could end up being in the thousands.