Copyright holders have made numerous attempts in recent years to deter people from visiting pirate websites.
Simply stating that piracy is illegal doesn’t appear to work very well, so anti-piracy messaging often tries to appeal to other emotions too.
Anti-piracy campaigns frequently warn of the malware and security risks posed by some pirate operations, for example. These concerns are warranted as some sites and services have been associated with severe security risks. The ultimate goal of these campaigns is to convert pirates into legitimate subscribers.
“You Get Pirated Football, They Get You”
A few days ago, Spain’s top football league, LaLiga, launched a new PSA, coinciding with the start of the new season. Their message is simple but clear: “You Get Pirated Football, They Get You”.
LaLiga warns fans that using pirate services puts them at imminent risk, noting that criminals can gain access to sensitive personal data.
“Accessing pirated content is like leaving the front door open to hackers. The risks range from identity theft and financial fraud to device hijacking and total privacy loss. Fans who watch illegal broadcasts may become victims without even realizing it,” LaLiga writes.
The campaign video, which has embedding disabled, starts with a claim that over 50% of viruses detected online come from pirate services. While we can’t find a direct source for this statement, the rest suggests that pretty much everything is at risk.
“When you stream a match on an illegal site, you’re opening your life to anyone. They’ll gain access to your phone. To your accounts, passwords, and personal emails. They can drain your bank account, steal your identity. They’ll know everything about you. Everything.”
The official campaign website provides more context and links to third-party reports and sources, including Interpol and Europol. At the same time, it encourages the public to stay away from potential trouble and sign up for an official subscription instead.
Extreme?
While pirate sites and services can certainly pose a threat, they come in all shapes and sizes, including some that may not immediately drain users’ bank accounts. This type of nuance may not do so well in an anti-piracy campaign of this sort.
Whether the message will be effective among fans has yet to be seen. Previously, research has shown that extreme messaging can be counterproductive. Whether that will be the case in Spain will be determined by the viewers.
Thus far, the majority of YouTube comments appear unconvinced that LaLiga cares about the security and privacy of pirates. Quite the contrary.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
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