Brazil. Operation 404 is a major multi-jurisdictional effort designed to curb digital pirates across Brazil, a country where the consumption of pirated local and international content remains massive and very impactful for the entertainment and media industry. The third phase of Operation 404 elevates Brazil to the leading position in the fight against piracy in Latin America.
Since its launch in 2019, the project has been a joint effort involving public authorities and private initiatives to combat hacking and cybercrime. In the first three phases of the operation, more than 790 websites were shut down, at least 250 illegal apps were shut down, and dozens of search and seizure warrants were closed across Brazil.
Phase 3 of Operation 404 is still in progress and the last incursion took place in the Belo Horizonte region on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.
"With the third phase of Operation 404, major industry associations, including ABTA, ACE/MPA, Alianza, APDIF and IFPI, continue to play an important role in supporting the continued efforts and persistence of Brazilian government authorities, law enforcement and other agencies in taking down pirate organizations," said Pascal Métral, Vice President of Legal Affairs and Head of Anti-Piracy Intelligence, Investigations and Litigation at NAGRA, a leading digital security company that produces intelligence and technical assistance to support operations conducted by local authorities. .
Many companies that operate criminally maintain a legitimate business façade, which can only be noticed through permanent surveillance and the use of technologies that allow the trace of offenders to be identified. According to Métral, "Anti-piracy actions, in addition to ending the false feeling that the network is a land without an owner, continue to impact by improving solutions, technologies and strategies to deal with pirates."
The violation of copyright, by the unauthorized exhibition or retransmission of IPTV or streaming content, is not limited to the loss of the audiovisual chain, compromising local economies, which fail to open jobs and collect taxes, given the illicit activity. The alarm also sounds when the focus is on the relationship with the consumer, who is exposed to the risk of personal data being captured by malware present in pirated applications.
