A new report by technical intelligence platform Yield Sec highlights a concerning trend regarding illegal streaming activities during the recent summer Olympic Games. The findings indicate that gambling advertisements promoting black market brands were prominent, appearing in 46% of all illegal streams related to the event, surpassing all other industries.
The Paris Olympics, which took place from July 26 to August 11, encountered significant illegal streaming activity, as outlined in the report released on August 21. Yield Sec estimates that there were approximately 266.7 million views of illegal streams that lasted for 90 seconds or more during the games.
The Risks Involved in Illegal Streaming
Yield Sec emphasizes that engaging with illegal streaming platforms involves serious risks that users might not fully comprehend. According to the report, while many people believe they are accessing premium content for free, they often unwittingly compromise their personal data, device security, and processing power to these illegal streamers and the covert criminal organizations that operate behind them.
‘Users do not get something for nothing – they are the product,’ the report stated, highlighting the dangers that come with viewing illegal streams.
Dominance of Gambling Advertisements
Notably, unlicensed gambling operators dominated the advertisement landscape within these illegal streams. Yield Sec reports that gambling ads were the most frequent type of advertisement, with 46% of all illegal streams featuring these promotions, many of which were explicitly based on Olympic events.
To provide context, other industries represented in these illegal advertisements included online gaming (18%), adult entertainment (11%), and cryptocurrency (9%). The prevalence of gambling ads was particularly high, with users exposed to an average of four gambling advertisements every 10 minutes while watching these streams.
Manipulative Practices in Gambling Ads
The report also underscores a critical issue regarding the integrity of betting placed against the backdrop of illegal streams. It noted that the illegal feeds often operate on a time delay, which could severely disadvantage viewers intending to place bets based on real-time match outcomes. According to Yield Sec, bettors accessing these streams might place their wagers knowing that the illegal gambling operators already have advance knowledge of the event outcomes, essentially cheating consumers out of their betting stakes.
Breakdown of Illegal Streaming Sources
Yield Sec’s report details that illegal streams originated from 11,958 distinct online locations, along with an additional 120,000 mirrored sites used to redirect users to these streams. Geographically, Asia emerged as the largest source of illegal streams, accounting for 36% of the total. Europe and the UK followed, contributing to 21% of the streams, while Latin America represented 17%, North America 16%, and Africa 9%. Australia and New Zealand combined only accounted for a mere 1% of the illegal streams related to the Olympic Games.
Conclusion
As the prevalence of illegal streaming continues to escalate, the trends unveiled by Yield Sec raise critical questions concerning user safety, data protection, and the broader implications of unregulated advertisements. In light of this report, the risks associated with illegal streaming warrant careful consideration from both users and regulators alike, as the lines between entertainment and exploitation become increasingly blurred.
