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Criminals reap US$1.34 billion in advertising annually from illegal entertainment websites and apps

by Digital Citizens Alliance 12 August 2021

Amazon, Facebook, and Google are among the global brands that fund an estimated $US1.34 billion in advertising annually on film, TV and games piracy websites and apps, according to a new research from the Digital Citizens Alliance and White Bullet.

The report – Breaking (B)ads: How Advertiser-Supported Piracy Helps Fuel a Booming Multi-Billion Dollar Illegal Market – details a year-long investigation into how brands and advertising intermediaries help support the operators of illegal piracy websites and apps through the placement of ads.

The research shows consumers who visit pirate websites and apps are two-to-three times more likely to be exposed to malware and fraud.

“For too long, online piracy has been treated as a nuisance and not the multi-billion 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.

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RELATED ARTICLE: “Pirate subscription services become a billion dollar industry in the United States” By Digital Citizens Alliance, August 2020


 

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