DIGITAL LIFE

More than 30 pirate streaming services go offline in Brazil after action by Argentina

According to Anatel, the interruption occurred this Saturday (1st) after a court order from the Argentine Justice system, which ordered the takedown of servers used by illegal streaming applications. As many of these services operated from Argentine servers, the blocking directly impacted Brazilian consumers.

The action is part of an international operation to combat piracy, conducted by Argentine authorities in partnership with entities such as the Alliance Against Audiovisual Piracy (ALIANZA). The measure led to the deactivation of more than 30 illegal platforms, including My Family Cinema, which is quite popular in Brazil.

Anatel clarified that it did not participate directly in the decision, but confirmed that the blocking affected services used by thousands of Brazilians. The agency also reported that other platforms continue to be identified and gradually removed.

In recent months, Anatel has reinforced the fight against digital piracy, especially against devices known as pirate TV Boxes — nicknamed "gatonet". These devices and applications offer free or very cheap access to paid channels and streaming platforms, but through illegal means.

In addition to the infraction, the problem goes further: the agency warns that these systems can expose personal data, allowing criminals to steal sensitive information, such as passwords and bank details. In many cases, the use of pirate platforms also facilitates cyberattacks and malware.

"It is important to remind Brazilian consumers to subscribe only to regular services and to be wary of packages with very low prices or from unknown providers," Anatel reinforced in an official statement.

The blocking coordinated by Argentina shows that the fight against audiovisual piracy has gained international scale. In Brazil, Anatel has been working with operators and security agencies to map IPs, block illegal transmissions and prevent the import of adulterated devices.

The actions are part of a growing effort to reduce a market that moves billions of reais per year, according to industry estimates. The use of pirate services may seem harmless, but it carries legal, economic and digital security implications that the public often ignores.

Even in times of expensive subscriptions and multiple platforms, resorting to piracy can be more costly than it seems. The Argentinian operation shows that the net is closing in — and that illegal streaming may be numbered.

The service outage was confirmed by Anatel to the G1 portal. It should be noted that the Brazilian agency is not part of the operation carried out by Argentine authorities with the support of the Alliance Against Audiovisual Piracy in Latin America (Alianza).

The affected services act as a kind of "pirate Netflix." By subscribing, the user gains access to an extensive catalog of films and series without subscribing to Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Disney+, and other official platforms.

To use them, the Argentine newspaper La Nacion explains that it was necessary to pay between US$3 and US$5 per month.

In some cases, the services operate as a "pirate IPTV" and offer access to paid television channels.

Following the end of operations, Brazilians shared reports about the service outage on social media. "I'm inconsolable. What am I going to do without My Family Cinema," posted one X user.

Some people even commented that they had recently renewed their "subscription." "My Family Cinema went down and we renewed the monthly [package] four months ago," the post says.

mundophone