Illegal streaming offences

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/24/2560

Version Date: 27/11/2024

The calendar years of 2021, 2022 and 2023, and the time period between 1 January 2024 and 31 October 2024.

1) How many crimes were recorded for illegal streaming (i.e. people who watch pirated content - such as TV shows, sport matches and films - in their homes) over the requested period? Please specify the offences and tell me how many of the crimes you recorded resulted in charges (telling me the reason why the charges were not brought in the relevant cases). Please also tell me, for the investigations that led to a charge, what the content the person was illegally streaming was (sports, TV shows, films etc) and tell me how they accessed the unauthorised content (i.e. was it from free streaming sites, an app, TV sticks, modified boxes etc), if there is time to do so under the act.

The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.

Based on a previous similar request searches were conduct on the following offences and the results manually reviewed for relevance:

038/01 - Conceal / disguise / convert / transfer / remove criminal property

038/02 - Enter into / concerned in acquisition / retention / use or control criminal property

038/03 - Acquire / use / possess criminal property

053/43 - Possess / control article for use in fraud

053/44 - Make / supply article for use in fraud

This search produced a nil return

A keyword search on the occurrence summary for “Illegal streaming”, “streaming illegally”, “Illegally streaming”, “pirated content” & “pirated download” was also conducted.

This second search also produced a nil return.