The UK’s Industry Trust for IP Awareness says that 29% of consumers illegally accessing content online have been infected with a virus, malware or ransomware, an increase of 14% since December 2019.
According to the organization, about a third of current infringers subscribe to illicit streaming sites and that about a quarter of them (26%) fall victim to often serious fraud, while 25% have also said they have been charged multiple times. 31% of them also reported being exposed to offensive ads or pop-ups, and age-inappropriate content.
Read the news release from The Industry Trust
Why it matters
This news further reinforces the fact that media companies are not the only victims of video piracy, and that piracy should be seen by consumers as more than just an abstract concept.
The Industry Trust acts as the educational arm of the UK film, TV and video industry, to encourage the legal consumption of media and entertainment content and to promote the value of copyright and creativity. It has about 40 members, including distributors, retailers and technology providers.
