The Biggest illegal IPTV racket busted in Gujarat

The Gujarat Police has recently busted a Smart IP TV racket, which was illegally broadcasting Pakistani TV channels, international entertainment channels, and Indian pay TV content through the Internet m3u streaming. According to media reports, the estimated earnings of this racket are said to be around Rs 700 crore. The action was initiated after a formal complaint by Star India, which had raised concerns about this illegal streaming.

What is the matter?

Now Bharat has 5G service active all over India, so now entertainment is also shifting to the Internet. Soon, Bharat is going to launch 6G internet service.So, for using internet service, this gang was showing foreign and paid channels to viewers through free or very cheap subscriptions on the Internet. These included some Pakistani news channels, foreign entertainment channels, cricket, and movie content, which are legally prohibited from being shown in India or are available only on licensed platforms.Star India found that the copyrighted content of their paid channels was being broadcast fearlessly on several websites and IPTV apps. On this, he complained to the cyber cell of the Gujarat Police.

How big is this racket?

According to some reports that the annual turnover of this racket is said to be around Rs 700 crore. The gang had more than 5 lakh subscribers, who were spread across India and other countries. Payments were taken from users through UPI, crypto, and cash.

Legal action and sections –

The accused have been booked under various sections of the Copyright Act, IT Act, and the Indian Penal Code. This is not just a copyright violation but also a violation of India’s internal security and information broadcasting policies, as banned foreign media was being shown in India.

Star India statement –

Star India said in its statement, “We take every possible step to protect our content and demand strict action against such illegal activities. We are cooperating with the Gujarat Police in this matter.”

What the government should do –

The government should ban or filter all Internet traffic for streaming links like .m3u8, .ts. m3u, .mp4, etc, from Pakistan and Bangladesh, as there are lots of illegal services running using social media groups.

Warning for users –

Users who are using such illegal IPTV services should be cautious. Not only are these services illegal, but they can also pose a threat to your data security.This incident shows how the threat of copyright infringement and illegal media distribution is increasing in the digital age. While law enforcement agencies are active, public awareness is equally important. If you also know of any website or app that is showing channels illegally, then you should report it immediately.Hashtags – #IPTVScam #DigitalPiracy #StarIndia #CyberCrime #GujaratNews #PakistaniChannels #IllegalStreaming