Warning to South Africans using pirate streaming apps

South Africans using pirate video streaming services not only risk infringing copyright laws but could be supporting criminal networks carrying out violent crimes in other parts of the world.

They could also be compromising their information, bank card details, and home Internet network security to these criminals, risking financial and personal harm.

MyBroadband recently noticed that one of South Africa’s biggest local community Facebook groups, “Eks Van Die Ooste”, frequently features people recommending that others use illegal IPTV services.

Among the plethora of platforms streaming content without permission or licencing by their creators or owners are Waka TV, Watchlist Pro, and My Family Cinema.

Many people cite DStv’s “high” prices as justification for using these services to watch live sports and argue that such piracy is a victimless crime.

Illegal IPTV users boast about having access to thousands of live TV channels and a vast range of on-demand content at a fraction of the price of DStv or other streaming services.

In the past year, South Africa’s biggest broadcaster, MultiChoice, has been working with law enforcement to hunt down pirate streaming operators.

MultiChoice’s copyright protection software company, Irdeto, undertook 233 anti-piracy cases between April 2024 and September 2024.

That is an increase of 109% from the same period in the previous financial year. In recent months, the company has continued conducting raids on illegal IPTV operators’ premises.

Irdeto’s director of broadcast cybersecurity and anti-piracy, Firkkie Jonker, has warned that the attention will begin shifting from distributors to users.

MultiChoice has repeatedly highlighted how the use of illegal streaming services damages artists, filmmakers, and broadcasters’ income.

The services themselves don’t spend a cent on creating the content but rely on the entertainment industry’s work. However, the damage can extend far beyond that.

To understand why the services pose a threat, it is important to consider the nature of their providers and operations.

Not just petty criminals

Firstly, it is important to understand that pirate streaming operators have no issue with breaking the law; their main source of revenue depends on it. They also may not be petty criminals.

In crackdowns overseas, law enforcement has found several illegal IPTV operations connected to other criminal organisations and crimes, including money laundering and cybercrime.

In December 2024, Europol and Eurojust took down one of the biggest IPTV services in Europe and seized various drugs and weapons at some of the operators’ sites.

To a reasonable person, this should make the ethical dilemma associated with using an IPTV service far more complex.

In addition to robbing an actor or filmmaker of deserved income, they could be helping to fund actual robbers who carry out violent crimes halfway around the world.

The threat may also be much closer to home. These services often require users to submit personal and bank card details, which could become a major problem.

Many cybersecurity analyses of modified Android streaming devices and apps used to access illegal streaming platforms show that they send data to overseas servers and sometimes contain malware.

Despite the risk, some people are willing to share their card details and Google account login credentials with these operators.

In addition to handing over your money and personal data to criminals, there is no guarantee that you will be getting quality service — or any service at all.

Several people have recently complained that popular content like SuperSport’s live channels tends to be laggy on Waka TV during popular events.

The reason for this is simple: Waka TV’s operators do not spend as much on data centre hosting, network capacity, or other supporting technologies as legitimate streaming providers.

If they spent more, it is unlikely that they would be able to offer their service at the low prices that they do.