The use of illegal streaming services among young adults in Finland has increased significantly in a year, according to the Copyright Barometer conducted by Taloustutkimus Oy for the Finnish Copyright Information and Control Centre.
According to the barometer, more than a third (34%) of Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, already use illegal streaming services. The study, which is conducted annually, examines, among other things, the use of content and attitudes towards copyright and piracy.
Common and accepted among those under 35
The use of illegal streaming services appears to be growing strongly among young adults, i.e. those aged 25–34. 28 percent of respondents have watched, listened to or played content through them, compared to 18 percent a year earlier. The number of users of such services has also increased among young people, i.e. those aged 15–24, and is now 31 percent (2025: 27 percent). Of all respondents, 13 percent admit that their household streams content from illegal services; last year, the figure was ten percent.
More and more young people also accept piracy. Already 38 percent of 15-24 year-olds consider it acceptable to watch a film or TV series available on illegal internet streaming services without permission, compared to 30 percent the previous year. This is accepted by 27 percent of young adults (in 2025: 20%) and 17 percent of all respondents (in 2025: 14%). Almost as many (18%) accept downloading content that has been put on the internet without permission for their own use.
The majority supports improving enforcement measures
Despite high rates of infringing use, two out of three (66%) respondents believe that copyright holders should be able to find out who is infringing their rights anonymously on the internet. One in ten respondents (10%) disagree. Men, those under 50, and respondents who have downloaded unauthorized material from the internet and used pirated services are more likely than average to disagree with this statement.
Three out of five Finns (61%) believe that the penalty scale for IP crimes in Finland should be raised to the level of other Nordic countries. This share is clearly higher than in the 2025 survey (53%). 12 percent of respondents are against raising the penalty scale and about a quarter (27%) were undecided.
Methodology
The results are based on the Copyright Barometer, which was commissioned by the Finnish Copyright Information and Surveillance Centre and carried out by Taloustutkimus, which is now in its twentieth year. The research material was collected through personal interviews and an online survey as part of Taloustutkimus’ Omnibus research. The data collection was carried out between 10 September and 6 October 2026, and the total number of respondents to the study was 1090 people. The target group was Finns over the age of 15, excluding the Åland Islands.
Why it matters
The majority of Finns who responded to the survey still believe that creative people should be compensated for their work based on how much their work is used. As many as 90% of respondents completely or somewhat agree with this statement. Only three percent disagree with this issue.
Further reading
Copyright Barometer 2026: Use of illegal streaming services has increased significantly among young adults. Press release with link to download the report (in Finnish). October 28, 2026. TTVK (Finnish Copyright Information and Control Centre), Finland
