Not only are consumers in the Asia Pacific region accessing pirate content via social media and messaging platforms, but the incidence of piracy via these platforms has increased dramatically across the board, up from 35% in 2023 to 49% in 2024.
That, according to an annual Consumer Survey conducted by YouGov for the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), was part of AVIA’s annual snapshot of the media and entertainment industry in the Asia Pacific region for 2025, which was released in December 2024. Access to illegal sources via social media channels has overtaken International paid online video platforms to become the second most popular method to watch content.
The consumer surveys help AVIA identify piracy trends around the region, and in each country, which inform AVIA’s anti-piracy strategies. The 2024 survey also identified a significant increase in respondents stating that they have accessed pirated content in general (from 52% to 59%).
Advertising piracy
Research conducted by White Bullet Solutions showed that high risk piracy websites in Southeast Asia continue to be supported financially by digital advertising; finding that 87% of the ads presented through Southeast Asian piracy publishers have visible branding, including household names both globally and regionally. 73% of the ads found on piracy websites were found to be delivered within the mobile ecosystem. These levels contrast with the rest of the world, which are at 63% and 38% respectively
The top three advertising platforms placing the most ads on piracy websites were Google, BidGear and A-ADS (formerly Anonymous Ads). Google placed the most ads, with 27% more ad impressions than BidGear, and almost double the number of ad impressions of A-ADS. While country data varies, Google appears in the top three adtech intermediaries for most countries in the region.
This situation has brought AVIA to engage with Google, which has resulted in a process whereby AVIA submits a list of pirate sites to Google on a monthly basis and Google responds by removing ads placed by those sites. AVIA had first submitted delisting candidates to Google Singapore in 2023. By the end of 2024 more than 100,000 infringing links, and two rounds of concentrated referrals against the Yalla group of pirate sites, had been de-listed from Google Search.
Pirates are software developers
According to an essay submitted to the AVIA report by Synamedia, GitHub, the prominent platform for open-source software development now owned by Microsoft, has been used by individuals to share scripts and tools that facilitate video piracy for the past several years; explaining how pirates use GitHub for activities such as bypassing Digital Rights Management (DRM), generating unauthorized streaming links, and sharing decryption tools. In addition to decryption modules, pirates also utilize GitHub to host token and playlist-generating scripts.
Pirates have also been observed using GitHub discussions and repositories to share links to pirated streams of live events, such as the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in May 2024. While such posts may masquerade as guides or community discussions, they often contain multiple links directing users to unauthorized streams.
Although GitHub promptly removes such content when flagged, pirates continuously find ways to exploit the platform, often until DMCA takedown requests are submitted.
Tik Tok Too
AVIA also continues to refer sites and lists of keywords associated with live sporting events for monitoring and removal to Facebook for removal from their various platforms. For the first time in 2024, AVIA’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) also initiated similar efforts with TikTok. The relationship with TikTok is promising, and AVIA are discussing the possibility of an MOU with them.
For TikTok the key issue has been the current lack of any real or effective automated takedown measures, which TikTok claims to be addressing. TikTok has been willing to work with CAP on identifying key words for filtering, and potentially take action against notorious illicit streaming devices (ISDs) on their platform, but CAP will press TikTok to implement automated countermeasures.
Site blocking successes
AVIA’s CAP has continued to work on blocking applications in multiple countries. Early in 2024, CAP obtained a court order in Singapore to block 26 pirate sites with more than 100 associated domains. Many of the targeted sites were sports sites, for which CAP worked to obtain a court order that would be in place earlier in the season.
In Malaysia, between 20 and 50 sites are being blocked per month, for a total of more than 300 sites referred by the end of November. After many years of working closely with Malaysia’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (MDTCL) AVIA has also seen a marked increase in the speed in which sites are blocked: often within four days of application.
In Indonesia CAP works closely with a local anti-piracy coalition (AVISI) to file sites
for blocking. By the end of October CAP had referred more than 800 IP address-only sites to be blocked by Malaysia’s regulator, Kominfo’ based on illegal content on the sites such as gambling. Enforcement has been a slow process there, which has motivated CAP to conduct workshops with the regulators there.
Singapore close-up
In its first-ever prosecution under section 150 of the Singapore Copyright Act 2021 (“SCA”), October 2024, an individual and his two companies were convicted for selling illegal streaming devices which allowed users to unlawfully access English Premier League (EPL) football matches, as well as copyrighted content of Disney, Netflix and others. The conviction followed raids conducted by the police at both shops, in which 499 sets of illegal streaming devices were seized.
Under the SCA, convicted individuals can be fined up to Sg$100,000 and be jailed for up to 5 years, while companies can be fined up to Sg$200,000. In this case, the maximum fine was levied on the individual and both his companies. The individual was also sentenced to 10 months’ jail.
Other collaborations involving regulators
The rise of piracy via social media and messaging platforms brough CAP’s engagement and outreach efforts to the fore in 2024; reflected in bi-monthly calls between CAP and representatives from Google, Facebook and TikTok.
Telegram, on the other hand, has been less than cooperative with rights holders and their representatives, including CAP. As a result CAP sought the assistance of the Indonesian telecommunications regulator, Kominfo, to initiate a dialog with Telegram; making numerous submissions highlighting the links between pirated content, particularly live sport, and other illegal content such as gambling on the platform. In resonse, Kominfo organised a meeting with CAP, local Indonesian rights holders and Telegram in Jakarta.
Other such efforts have been ongoing in other APAC countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore. Thailand has become a rising priority. CAP has also conducted conferences across the APAC region, designed to bring together regulators, media industry stakeholders, and online platform operators in an effort to maintain awareness and move the ball forward
About AVIA
As the video industry continues to evolve, the need for collaboration has never been greater. The challenges of piracy, regulation, and market fragmentation cannot be solved by individual companies alone. They require coordinated action, shared resources, and a collective voice. As a neutral broker, AVIA provides a platform for this collaboration.
AVIA’s collaborations with governments, technology providers, and enforcement agencies have been key to its efforts against piracy; coordinating industry-wide initiatives to shut down illegal services, raise consumer awareness, and promote the value of legitimate content.
AVIA engages directly with regulators to ensure they understand the complexities of the industry, by providing data, insights, and a platform for dialogue. This is particularly important in the APAC region, as regulatory approaches can vary significantly from market to market.
AVIA also supports industry efforts to preserve brand safety, understand consumer behavior and optimize advertising with broadcasters and distributors as distribution shifts from long-form toward streaming, social media and short-form online video; all of which are actively exploited piracy.
Further reading
The Asia Video Industry Report 2025 (.pdf). Industry report. Asia Video Indusaty Association.
Why it matters
Piracy remains a significant threat to the industry, undermining legitimate businesses and robbing content creators of fair compensation. The rise of streaming has made piracy even more pervasive, with illegal services often offering content at a fraction of the cost—or even for free.
Through their entry in the AVIA report, Friend MTS underscored the magnitude of piracy with a case from Vietnam, with a single Vietnam-based streaming pirate operation generating more than 6.7 billion visits between January 2023 and June 2024 to their domains; an average of nearly 374 million visits per month. That operation was ultimately dismantled by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, working in close collaboration with the Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) Piracy Monitor reported about this case, FMovies, in August.
The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is a trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) initiative, and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.
AVIA has been at the forefront of anti-piracy efforts, coordinating industry-wide initiatives to shut down illegal services, raise consumer awareness, and promote the value of legitimate content. Collaboration with governments, technology providers, and enforcement agencies has been key to these efforts.