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Russia Blocks 167 VPNs, Steps Up OpenVPN & WireGuard DisruptionAndy Maxwell, 31 Oct 09:22 AM Late March 2023, Russia augmented its long-burning VPN

Russia Blocks 167 VPNs, Steps Up OpenVPN & WireGuard Disruption Andy Maxwell, 31 Oct 09:22 AM Late March 2023, Russia augmented its long-burning VPN crackdown with a series of PSAs claiming that using a VPN for security is actually much worse than not using a VPN at all. One of the ads warned that VPNs somehow obtain users' passport details, plus their names, addresses, and dates of birth. Another suggested that since VPNs in Russia know everything about their users, spouses might learn about secret affairs, a high price for accessing a social network blocked in Russia, the PSA added. Just a few months later, those fairly light-hearted ads can be seen in a whole new light. During the summer, President Putin signed off on legal amendments that will require some internet platforms, including social networks, to verify new users' identities, in some cases using their passports. Providing advice on the use of VPNs or similar tools to access banned internet resources, including 'extremist' Western social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, was rendered a criminal offense. Russia Tightens the Screws on VPNs Russia's ongoing VPN crackdown appears to be going in one direction; the end of any VPN service that refuses to play ball, consequences for those who dare to discuss them, and potentially anyone who knowingly uses them. The latter may take some time to emerge but in the meantime, Russia is attempting to remove as many as possible from the market. According to Interfax, during a presentation to the 'Spectrum-2023' forum in Sochi last week, the head of the 'Center for Monitoring and Control of the Public Communications Network' (TsMU SSOP) revealed the extent of the Kremlin's VPN crackdown. Sergei Khutortsev, a former FSO officer and now a central figure in Russia's 'sovereign internet' project, confirmed that 167 VPN services are now actively blocked after failing to comply with government requirements. Also subject to blocking are more than 200 email services. Formed in 2019, TsMU SSOP is the department responsible for identifying threats to the "stability, security, and integrity" of the internet as it relates to Russia. TsMU SSOP controls compliance on routing to "minimize the transfer of data from Russian users abroad" while ensuring centralized traffic management in the event of a threat. TsMU SSOP also plays a key role in internet blocking and censorship; it has the authority "to use technical means on communication networks" to determine the source of transmitted traffic, and then "limit access to resources carrying prohibited information" by blocking IP addresses and, more broadly, specific types of internet traffic. VPN Blocking By IP Address and Protocol In addition to driving out non-compliant VPN providers and using regular means to block domains and IP addresses, Russia has been developing its ability to block specific traffic protocols. For years there have been reports of sporadic interference but starting April 2023, reports began to emerge of popular VPN protocols OpenVPN and WireGuard being blocked by some ISPs. After the interference suddenly stopped, the same protocols were blocked again in June and then again in late August. After a hiatus of a few weeks, protocol blocking resumed with force late last month. An in-depth report published by TheIns.ru has details of the monitoring/blocking system reportedly deployed in Russia, how much it costs (4.3 billion rubles/$43 million in 2020, 24.7 billion rubles/$247 million for 2022-2024), and the names of the companies supplying the components. • EcoFilter (a trademark owned by RDP.Ru, a subsidiary of Rostelecom) – DPI equipment. The complex includes the EcoDPIOS-DU software package developed in-house by the company and Yadro's Vegman N110 servers. The hardware is produced by Yadro, a Skolkovo company that became part of Cherepennikov's "IKS Holding" shortly before the adoption of the law on the "sovereign internet." • FusionServer 1288H servers manufactured by Huawei. • Cross-connect equipment to connect to various telecommunication operators' networks. A crucial part of it includes bypasses produced by Israeli company Silicom Ltd, which it directly supplies to DTsOA. Switches are supplied by the Novosibirsk-based company Elteks. • Kontinent – remote management equipment, manufactured by a Russian company "Kod Bezopasnosti". It utilizes software developed by "Positive Technologies", a sanctioned Russian company. The publication also obtained original documents that apparently show some of the protocols Russia initially intended to block. They include older VPN protocols IPSec, L2TP, and PPTP, plus the BitTorrent protocol still widely used today. Leaked document The full report on the system, which reveals the use of Intel chips/chipsets in 965 servers manufactured by Huawei and already purchased by Russia, plus another 2400+ servers for 2023/24, is available here. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. Dutch Fiscal Police Win "Anti-Piracy Award" for Shutting Down IPTV Datacenter Ernesto Van der Sar, 30 Oct 09:23 PM Across the globe, law enforcement and copyright holder groups are teaming up to tackle online piracy of all shapes and sizes. Cooperation is seen as essential to tackling the endemic piracy problem and the key players regularly meet up to discuss progress and emerging problems. Last week, Europol hosted its annual IP Crime Conference in Lisbon where stakeholders came together to exchange information and ideas. The Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance was also present and seized the opportunity to announce its annual Anti-Piracy Award on stage. The Anti-Piracy Award Goes to FIOD The 2023 award goes to the Dutch fiscal police (FIOD), which shut down one of Europe's largest IPTV operations in May. The illicit operation presumably offered its services to countless smaller IPTV sellers, together serving over a million subscribers according to official reports. Large IPTV raids are not new, but this enforcement effort took place on a scale that we haven't seen before. Information obtained by FIOD showed that the pirate IPTV operation was run from the GLOBE Datacenter in Den Helder, where more than 1,200 servers were taken offline. The raids, which also inflicted some collateral damage, caused hundreds of thousands of screens to go dark. Several people were arrested and the prosecution is ongoing. Commenting on the award, AAPA's Executive Vice President Sheila Cassells notes that FIOD's action shows how vital law enforcement efforts are against these types of illicit piracy operations. "The scale of this operation illustrates clearly why law enforcement must continue to act against illegal IPTV services," Cassells says. "And the inclusion and closure of a major hosting provider reinforces the need for a clear and robust regulatory regime, including, for example, know your customer requirements, to be imposed on such actors," she adds. In recent years, illicit IPTV services have become a billion-dollar industry as people look for alternatives to costly official streaming subscriptions. AAPA and other copyright holders hope that by keeping the pressure on, this trend can eventually be reversed. New 'Host' Anti-Piracy Award AAPA also presented a new award this year for an agency operating in the conference's host country, which is Portugal this year. This went to the General Inspection of Cultural Activities (IGAC), which helped to implement the country's pirate site blocking framework. The Award (via) The award was handed to General Inspector Luis Silveira Botelho and AAPA Co-President Mark Mulready hopes the Portuguese model will serve as an example for other countries. "In presenting this award, we are pleased to acknowledge the steps taken in Portugal to implement an efficient and dynamic system for blocking orders," Mulready says. "We have seen from other countries how helpful such blocking orders can be and we hope that countries who have not yet introduced the possibility of blocking orders will take note of the system applied here," he adds. Anti-Piracy Commendations The anti-piracy coalition also handed out a certificate of commendation to Marcin Cyganek of the Polish Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime, who helped to prioritize IP crime and was instrumental in the shutdown of polsharing.com. Certificates of commendation were also handed to Bulgaria, Italy, and Spain, for various enforcement actions. Bulgaria, for example, carried out a variety of anti-piracy operations in recent months, resulting in the shutdown of several widely-used piracy services. Italy, meanwhile, was lauded for "Operation Gotha", which hit an unnamed IPTV operation that reportedly serviced 900,000 subscribers. This action took over where "Operation Blackout" left off and involved dozens of raids in 23 provinces across the country. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. Are you looking for a VPN service? TorrentFreak sponsor NordVPN has some excellent offers. ©2023 TorrentFreak | Office 21338 PO Box 4336 Manchester, North West M61 0BW United Kingdom Web Version   Preferences   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by Mad Mimi®A GoDaddy® company

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Brazil Regulator Claims "80% of Pirate TV Boxes" Were Blocked Last WeekAndy Maxwell, 30 Oct 08:35 AM Authorities and rightsholders in Brazil appear

Brazil Regulator Claims "80% of Pirate TV Boxes" Were Blocked Last Week Andy Maxwell, 30 Oct 08:35 AM Authorities and rightsholders in Brazil appear determined to disrupt, restrict, or completely deny access to the illegal TV market enjoyed by millions of local citizens. From taking on pirate IPTV services to the outlawing of non-certified set-top boxes, to blocking illegal streaming websites and the removal of pirate apps, no target is off limits. One of the agencies at the forefront of this anti-piracy activity is the National Telecommunications Agency, better known as Anatel. Earlier his year, Anatel and Brazil's National Film Agency (Ancine) announced a new anti-piracy partnership. In addition to mass seizures of non-certified Android-type devices, Anatel said that blocking would continue to play a key role in the fight against seven million pirate set-top devices (local term 'TV Box') said to be active in the country. New Anti-Piracy Lab Unveiled Early September saw the official unveiling of Anatel's brand new Anti-Piracy Laboratory in Brasília. Capable of conducting technical analysis of equipment and the methods used to distribute pirated content, the lab boasts 12 large screens for monitoring purposes, six workstations for in-house use, and remote access for workers elsewhere. The New Lab (Image credit: Anatel) During the inauguration ceremony last month, Anatel revealed that 29 operations had resulted in the seizure of 1.4 million uncertified devices. The telecoms agency added that 1,400 IP addresses that "enabled the operation of pirate TV Boxes" were subjected to blocking. Anatel Claims Massive Progress According to an Anatel announcement last Thursday (October 26), over 3,000 servers enabling millions of pirate 'TV Boxes' have been blocked in Brazil since the start of 2023. That's more than double the figure Anatel reported last month, but an even bigger surprise came via reports of an Anatel operation carried out on Thursday. Based on data supplied by the agency, local media reports (1,2,3) stated that Anatel had somehow managed to either block 80% of all TV boxes currently active in Brazil, or had blocked servers supplying 80% of TV boxes. Big Claim: A paragraph from just one of many publications Whatever the approach, if Anatel had somehow managed to prevent 80% of all TV boxes receiving pirated content in the space of a year, that would be an extraordinary achievement. Even a week would be astonishing but the claim of millions in a day seems either incredible, non-credible, or entirely dependent on more important information or nuance that isn't being reported. Another angle is that disruption on a large scale tends to register in search results and Google data on various related search terms doesn't seem to reflect millions of TV boxes suddenly going dark in Brazil last week. At least, not for any significant length of time. Google & Cisco Are "Obstacles" in Fight Against Piracy On the first day of the PAYTV Forum in São Paulo early August, Anatel's Moisés Moreira strongly suggested that in order for blocking to be more effective, 'tech giants' (including one starting with 'G') should assist in the fight against piracy. "I have already determined a period of one week for them to manifest themselves and if that does not happen, we will escalate the enforcement, even judicialization by the agency," Moreira said. A media report dated September 22 described both Google and Cisco as thorns in Anatel's side and accused them of turning a blind eye to piracy. It was alleged that when the companies receive blocking requests from rightsholders, the companies ignore them. While both companies declined to comment, it's still unclear what they're being asked to do. On the one hand the dispute appears to focus on the companies' public DNS services, the use of which enables users to circumvent local DNS blockades when domains are subjected to blocking. On the other, Anatel's Moisés Moreira also spoke about the importance of blocking IP addresses. That leads back to Anatel's apparent ability to block 3,000 servers thus far in 2023, the claimed blocking of 80% of all TV boxes last week (and what that really amounted to in practical terms), and whether Anatel is now receiving help, and if so, from whom. Certainly not the clearest of pictures, unlike those of the new lab, which are pretty impressive. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 10/30/2023 Ernesto Van der Sar, 30 Oct 12:09 AM The data for our weekly download chart is estimated by TorrentFreak, and is for informational and educational reference only. Downloading content without permission is copyright infringement. These torrent download statistics are only meant to provide further insight into piracy trends. All data are gathered from public resources. This week we have four newcomers on the list. "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" is the most downloaded title. The most torrented movies for the week ending on October 30 are: Movie Rank Rank last week Movie name IMDb Rating / Trailer Most downloaded movies via torrent sites 1 (1) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 7.9 / trailer 2 (…) The Exorcist: Believer 5.0 / trailer 3 (2) Saw X 6.9 / trailer 4 (…) Five Nights at Freddy's 5.6 / trailer 5 (3) Expend4bles 5.0 / trailer 6 (5) Barbie 7.3 / trailer 7 (4) The Equalizer 3 7.0 / trailer 8 (…) The Royal Hotel 6.0 / trailer 9 (…) Pain Hustlers 6.4 / trailer 10 (8) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 6.7 / trailer Note: We also publish an updating archive of all the list of weekly most torrented movies lists. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. Are you looking for a VPN service? 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ACE/MPA Target VivaTV, StreamTape & VidSrc: A Peek Under the HoodAndy Maxwell, 28 Oct 04:28 PM For those trying to avoid identification by anti-pira

ACE/MPA Target VivaTV, StreamTape & VidSrc: A Peek Under the Hood Andy Maxwell, 28 Oct 04:28 PM For those trying to avoid identification by anti-piracy groups with considerable but nevertheless finite resources, staying out of reach is certainly possible. Over the past six years, after unmasking at least dozens but potentially hundreds of site operators, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment has shown that the opposite is possible too. Signs that ACE and the MPA are taking an interest in particular platforms appear in various forms, but few are as verifiably reliable as DMCA subpoena applications filed at U.S. courts. A new batch filed by the MPA contains familiar and less familiar names, so taking a closer look is always worthwhile. Popular Android App VivaTV The initial target in the first application is the Android-based movie and TV show streaming app, VivaTV. ACE identifies vivatv.io/download as the download URL for v1.6.2, but currently the site only serves v1.5.5 as standard. Nevertheless, ACE is absolutely right; a short roam around reveals the availability of several VivaTV versions, plus a bunch of other apps for download too. Users of VivaTV and similar tools will be aware that videos listed in the app are stored on third-party hosting platforms. In the application, MPA/ACE cite VivaTV as an infringer of their members' rights in the movie 'Frozen' before identifying where the movie was sourced. In this case the source is StreamTape.com, a platform with over a quarter billion visits every year. The same method is applied to the movie Minions: Rise of Gru; while it plays inside VivaTV, hosting platform VidSrc.me is listed as the source. Significant traffic has made StreamTape a prime target for MPA/ACE, as evidenced by referrals to watch lists maintained by the EU and United States on multiple occasions. Other than that, fairly standard stuff as DMCA subpoenas go, at least until reports of a different nature catch the eye. 62 Security Vendors Say VivaTV is Not Malicious There's no shortage of blogs providing information on the latest 'pirate' apps, including up-to-date version data and even direct download links. Some even run Android APK files through services like VirusTotal before posting the results to show that apps under review are 'safe'. As the image below shows, someone has already tested VivaTV (three tests since August according to the file's history) and the rows of green ticks are on full display. In total, 62 security vendors waved the green flag, at least until VirusTotal (VT) users move away from the 'DETECTION' tab and start looking at other tabs, marked DETAILS, RELATIONS, BEHAVIOR, and COMMUNITY, where confidence takes a bit of a nose-dive. Whether VivaTV is clean, malicious, or simply misunderstood, an analysis from VT in-house sandbox 'Zenbox' provides examples of what it believes the app tries to do. Might be 'safe', might not. Do your own research The question for those installing this app, or indeed any other app, is whether requests for access to device data like these are required and/or reasonable for the software in question to function. The DMCA subpoena application is available here (pdf) Summaries for Other DMCA Subpoenas 2:23-mc-00146 (MPA v Cloudflare, October 19, 2023) Domains Targeted: tubeyworld.com (IPTV), tubeyrack.com (.M3U) Content Infringed: Frozen, Top Gun: Maverick Names, physical IP/email addresses, telephone numbers, payment & account histories The DMCA subpoena application is available here (pdf) ___________ 2:23-mc-00147 (MPA v Cloudflare, October 19, 2023) Domains Targeted: watchtheofficetv.com, bluf.online, cuevana.biz, cuevana2espanol.net, cuevana8.com, pelisplushd.to, watchbatesmotelonline.com, watchbrooklynninenine.com, watchonceuponatimeonline.com, maxseries.in, ekinotv.pl Content Infringed: The Office, Encanto, Bates Motel, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Once Upon a Time, Breaking Bad Names, physical IP/email addresses, telephone numbers, payment & account histories The DMCA subpoena application is available here (pdf) ___________ 2:23-mc-00148 (MPA v Tonic Domains, October 19, 2023) Domains Targeted: myflixtor.to, flixtor.to, pelisplushd.to Content Infringed: The Flash, No Hard Feelings, The Batman, Encanto Names, physical IP/email addresses, telephone numbers, payment & account histories The DMCA subpoena application is available here (pdf) From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. Are you looking for a VPN service? TorrentFreak sponsor NordVPN has some excellent offers. ©2023 TorrentFreak | Office 21338 PO Box 4336 Manchester, North West M61 0BW United Kingdom Web Version   Preferences   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by Mad Mimi®A GoDaddy® company