Researcher Dansk Erhverv has mapped the online habits and attitudes of Danish consumers toward streaming illegal content on the internet, in a report of survey results released in July 2023. Previous Dansk Erhverv surveys were released in 2018 and 2020, and this one measured social use for the first time.
Dansk Erhverv’s survey of about 2,000 Danish consumers found that 33% of them stream content without payment. Across all age groups, over the past 12 months (ending December 2022), series/films were the category in which most have streamed or downloaded illegal content, followed by sporting events at 12 per cent.
“It is a big challenge that so much content continues to be streamed or downloaded illegally. I think there are many of us who are heavy consumers of films, series and sports in all guises,” says Casper Klynge, deputy director of Dansk Erhverv.
“But if we don’t want to pay for the content, ultimately there is no money to produce quality content such as Druk, Borgen or Holger Rune’s grand slam tennis matches,” he said. “And it’s basically the same as walking past a store and grabbing items home without paying for them as streaming digital content without paying for it. Both are illegal.”
Social sharing
Although there has been a focus on closing down illegal Danish file sharing services and websites, the market is shifting to other channels such as social media. Therfore the study also looked at how much of the streaming of illegal content takes place via social media.
Nine percent of consumers have shared, received or accessed illegal content on social media within the past 12 months. Not surprisingly, 23 per cent of those who shared, received or accessed illegal content on social media over the past 12 months were in the 15-29 age group.
YouTube is the most used social media for this purpose, and was the platform most used for series TV and movie content; followed by Facebook, TikTok, and others. Facebook was the most-used social platform for illegal sports sharing.
Enforcement measures should accodingly focus on social
“Now that the police Section for Rights Protection under NSK has stopped the dedicated Danish file-sharing services, it is really a shame that illegal consumption is moving to legal social media,” says Maria Fredenslund, director of the Danish Rights Alliance. “This calls for increased efforts from these platforms both in terms of informing users and stopping the distribution of illegal content.
“It requires the platforms to take an active role, and if there are platforms that do not live up to that responsibility, it may be necessary to involve the authorities,” she said.
Further reading
The Danes’ approach to illegal streaming and downloading of content on the internet. Report. Released July 2023. Dansk Erhverv.
Survey from Dansk Erhverv: Illegal streaming has moved onto social media. Press release. July 6, 2023. Danish Rights Alliance (auto-translated from Danish to English by Google Translate)
Why it matters
The analysis shows that 33 per cent of Danes between the ages of 15 and 74 have downloaded or streamed illegal content at some point in their lives. 15 per cent have done so within the past 12 months. This corresponds to more than 650,000 Danes.
Consumer education should go hand in hand with discovery and enforcement. According to the report, almost all Danes (89 per cent) think that it is completely unacceptable to steal sweets from the supermarket, while only 59 per cent distances itself from illegal live streaming of sporting events.
For more information, contact:
Deputy director of Dansk Erhverv Casper Klynge, tel. 41 90 41 17, cakl@danskerhverv.dk
Director of the Rights Alliance Maria Fredenslund, tel. 21 64 74 48, maria.fredenslund@rettighedsalliancen.dk
