Websites and apps that offer pirated or stolen content, which include movies, TV shows, games and live events, earn an average of more than $1.3 billion in annual advertising revenues, according to a new report.
Technology companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google are responsible for much of the funding to such piracy operators through ads, even though these criminals offer risky content that exposes consumers to fraud and malware, said a report by Washington non-profit organisation Digital Citizens Alliance and global advisory firm White Bullet.
Despite the alarming scale of the problem, today we are fully armed with AI technologies that can both track illegal activity and advance solutions
Peter Szyszko,
founder and chief executive of White Bullet
“For too long, online piracy has been treated as a nuisance … and not the multibillion-dollar industry that baits consumers to expose them to fraud and malware, hurts the reputation of brands and the overall advertising ecosystem, harms creators and poses new challenges for law enforcement,” said Tom Galvin, executive director of Digital Citizens.
“It is time for Fortune 100 companies and the legitimate advertising industry to stop funnelling tens of millions of dollars to criminals.”
The websites that offer stolen content generate in excess of $1bn in global annual ad revenue while the top five of these made an average of $18.3 million in sales from advertising.
Many of these websites continuously change domain names to avoid enforcement and bypass advertising blocklists. The top apps that offer stolen content generate $259m in global annual advertising revenue. while the main five of these netted an average of $27.6m in ad revenue.
“These apps remain a smaller piece of the piracy pie than websites, but they are growing at a more rapid pace,” the report said.
White Bullet reviewed 664 billion ad impressions and found that about one in three piracy websites and apps have risky advertising that exposes consumers to fraud and malware.
Consumers who admit visiting pirated websites and apps are two to three-times more likely to report an issue with malware than those that do not visit these illicit websites and apps, the report found.
It said that ads for Amazon, Facebook and Google accounted for 73 per cent of all major brands advertising that appeared frequently on piracy apps.
“This report confirms the simple fact that digital advertising funds piracy … that underlying data is the evidence needed to drive action and change,” said Peter Szyszko, founder and chief executive of White Bullet.
“Despite the alarming scale of the problem, today we are fully armed with AI [artificial intelligence] technologies that can both track illegal activity and advance solutions.”
White Bullet said it has stopped millions in ad spending from funding piracy and reduced the profit of intellectual property crime. But still more has to be done.
Currently, there is a recent significant decline in Amazon ads showing up on piracy websites and apps, demonstrating that the issue can be addressed if a brand makes it a priority, the report said.
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E153hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E200Nm%20at%204%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6.3L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh106%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
