New Law Targets IPTV Users & Subscribers with Major Fines

A new law looks to take aim at subscribers of illegal IPTV Services with fines up to €750 for anyone who “possesses or obtains access to illegal audiovisual works.”

A major criminal trial is underway in Greece, targeting a group accused of running a pirate IPTV service that allegedly raked in €25 million. This case, which started back in 2023, has put 17 defendants in the spotlight and created new warnings for anyone involved in selling or even accessing these services.

Authorities claim the accused laundered their profits by investing in real estate, forming businesses, and conducting transactions through betting companies. As part of their crackdown, police seized multiple high-end vehicles and motorcycles. If the court delivers heavy sentences, Greek officials and copyright holders will likely use the outcome to discourage future piracy.

Greece’s Tough New Law Targets IPTV Consumers

While IPTV Providers are the main focus of enforcement, Greek authorities are now going after users as well. A new law introduces fines of up to €750 for consumers caught purchasing illegal IPTV subscriptions. Repeat offenders could face fines of €1,500 per violation.

Shown below is the translated text from the new administrative sanction.

2B. Whoever, without right and in violation of this, retransmits, records, reproduces, in whole or in part, distributes by sale or in other ways, transmits by any means and manner, presents to the public in any way, including on-demand transmission, possesses or obtains access by possession of illegal equipment or software, with or without the intention of distribution and generally exploits illegal audiovisual works or broadcasts of radio and television organizations or national or international television events that are broadcast on the internet simultaneously with their implementation, including those where the possibility of monitoring is provided through audiovisual media service providers and communication media service providers, as defined in article 2 of law 4779/2021 (A’ 27), regardless of other sanctions, is subject to an administrative fine of seven hundred fifty (750) euros for each violation.

The Greek government hopes that penalizing end-users will deter illegal streaming, a strategy that is continuing to gain traction. Authorities also have the power to fine advertisers and promoters of illegal streaming services up to €1,500 per offense, with penalties climbing to €5,000 for commercial entities profiting from these promotions.

How Authorities Will Catch IPTV Subscribers

The crackdown isn’t just targeting the sellers of IPTV subscriptions—authorities are also collecting user data. Greek law now allows judicial authorities to access customer lists seized during piracy investigations.

For example, the ongoing trial reportedly involves a customer list with 13,000 names. Those who have provided their names, email addresses, or payment details to IPTV services could now be at risk of receiving a fine or even a personal visit from the authorities. This means that anyone who has ever signed up for a pirate IPTV service using traceable payment methods might now be on the government’s radar.

Final Thoughts

The Greek government’s shift toward punishing IPTV users is part of a larger trend in Europe. Countries are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to curb piracy, moving beyond blocking websites and prosecuting sellers to directly targeting consumers.

With 20% of Greeks admitting to using illegal IPTV services, authorities will have no shortage of potential targets. If this new enforcement approach proves successful, it could set a precedent for other nations looking to combat streaming piracy.

For IPTV users in Greece, the risks have never been higher. With authorities gaining access to customer data from seized IPTV services, those who have signed up for illegal streaming could soon find themselves facing hefty fines—or worse.

This article was originally published by TorrentFreak.

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