As part of the Brazilian government’s effort to combat digital piracy and protect citizens against cybercrime, Brazil’s National Council for Combating Piracy and Crimes against Intellectual Property (CNCP) forwarded a list with 393 pirate sites blocked by the Brazilian authorities, to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) of the United Nations (UN).
The list will be inserted in WIPO Alert, which is a mechanism for monitoring and international dissemination of this type of content. The CNCP is linked to the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) of Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Senacon has been running regional workshops about solutions in the fight against piracy and counterfeiting, in collaboration with WIPO; including a workshop in Rio de Janeiro in December.
The country’s law enforcement agencies have been running ongoing initiatives against illegal platforms, including Operation 404, which, in its last phase, blocked 675 websites and 14 streaming applications; and Operation Redirect, conducted by the Cyber Operations Laboratory (Ciberlab).
90 million consumers exposed
In addition to promoting the illegal distribution of music and other content, pirate sites expose more than 90 million consumers to fraud, data theft and cyber attacks. In them, the massive presence of illegal betting ads, which mainly affect children and young people, was also identified.
The National Consumer Secretary, Wadih Damous, highlights the importance of this action for the digital security of Brazilians. For him, the fight against piracy is not only a matter of copyright, but of consumer protection and society. “Many of these sites are used for the spread of viruses and for the theft of personal data, causing incalculable damage to citizens. Our commitment is to ensure a safer and fairer digital environment.”
Revenue generated through illegal betting
The executive secretary of the CNCP, Andrey Lucas Macedo Corrêa, explains that these sites use illegal content to generate profit through ads and that about 70% of them advertise clandestine bets. “The most worrying thing is that much of the public of these platforms is made up of minors, which makes them a gateway to even more serious social problems,” he highlights.
Confidentiality may be justified
The list of names of blocked and reported sites for WIPO Alert was kept confidential, to help prevent new criminal infrastructures from being created based on the information disclosed, in addition, this level of confidentiality will help ensure the effectiveness of investigations and inspections.
Further reading
Brazil intensifies the fight against piracy and reports the blocking of 393 illegal websites to the UN. Press release. February 10, 2025. Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Brazil
Senacon workshop in partnership with the UN reinforces the fight against crimes against intellectual property. Press release. December 16, 2024. Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Brazil
Brazil announces Operation 404 Phase 7 and first wins under Operation Redirect. Article. September 20, 2024. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor
Operation 404 – article archive. 2019 through 2024. Piracy Monitor
Why it matters
With this initiative, Brazil promoted the largest inclusion of pirate sites in the system linked to the UN of the last seven years. The measure reinforces the country’s commitment to international cooperation in the fight against intellectual property crimes. Monitoring by WIPO allows information to be shared in real time with the 193 member countries, which increases the effectiveness of inspection actions and blocking of illegal websites.
Access to the list also helps countries implement blocking and demonetization measures of these platforms. In addition, Wipo Alert provides information to advertising companies and financial institutions, helping to prevent these illegal websites from making profits through advertisements or banking transactions.
