TCS | MultiChoice declares war on piracy – the man leading the fight
744
Published 2024-06-10
Frikkie Jonker, of MultiChoice subsidiary Irdeto, is the man leading the charge against these pirate operations, and he tells the TechCentral Show (TCS) that, despite recent arrests, the broadcaster’s war on streaming piracy is just getting started. More arrests and other enforcement actions are on the cards.
On 5 June, MultiChoice revealed it had succeeding in nailing the streaming piracy platform Waka TV in an operation that involved Western Cape police investigators. It described the dismantling of Waka TV as “a significant victory in the fight against internet streaming piracy”.
The broadcaster said it was involved in a “meticulously planned raid” on 31 May, which led to the arrest of a “key suspect involved in one of the most extensive pirate operations in Africa”.
A day later, on 6 June, the broadcaster announced that through Irdeto – and working with law enforcement agencies – it had acted against another pirate streaming operation, this one in Gauteng, where a suspect was arrested for the “illegal sale of internet streaming pirate devices that allowed individuals to access MultiChoice content”.
Jonker, who is antipiracy director in broadcasting and cybersecurity at Irdeto, takes TechCentral’s audience into some detail about the two law enforcement operations and what transpired. And he explains why MultiChoice is stepping up its battle against content thieves and pirate streaming operations in South Africa and the rest of the African continent.
In the interview, Jonker unpacks:
• How serious content piracy has become on the continent;
• Why it’s often associated with organised criminal syndicates, and why consumers are putting themselves at risk by signing up to pirate streaming platforms as well as encouraging further criminal activity;
• Why MultiChoice is now warning that, in addition to targeting the pirate platform operators, it may go after consumers who sign up to these platforms, too; and
• How the broadcaster is working with law enforcement authorities.
Don’t miss a fascinating conversation.
All Comments (2)
-
You out priced yourself in the market. Just like Ellies Electronics, your actions, or inactions, will sink your business. And I don't hold any marketing degree, but I tell you, your time is limited, being a Multichoice accredited installer, I can firsthand tell you, you are not in touch with your customers, your arrogance and ignorance is very clear as you are ripping of your customers, let me tell you, the losses you have now, is nothing to what's coming to you, Take an example, I can rent Netflix for 99 zar, your one movie on box office is half that price, for one movie. That's a crime You are so focused on Bee, paying dividends to your so called partners, (comrades) but you forgot who is paying the bills, Take pubs, you killing the poor man's clubs, the place people go to relax, charging them exorbitant prices, you Multichoice, you are creating the piracy market. Just my 2 cents being 27 years in the game, I told the owners of ellies 10 years ago that they are losing touch, they didn't listen, where is ellies now??????? You are next
