The use of the "pezzotto," a device illegally used to access pirated content at discounted rates, has sparked a growing backlash from Italian authorities. The Guardia di Finanza (Italian Financial Police) has adopted a targeted strategy to identify users who unauthorizedly access Serie A matches, films, and television programs. Using decoy sites that mimic the illegal portals, investigators collect personal data such as names, surnames, and credit card information.
The Guardia di Finanza's "good phishing"
The Guardia di Finanza's strategy is not limited to identifying the culprits, but is also a means of gathering evidence of the crimes. The sites created for the operation are a sort of "good phishing", used to obtain data from users of pirated content for investigative purposes. At present, investigators are collecting hundreds of names of Italians who have attempted to illegally access content without signing up for subscriptions.
Cloudflare in the eye of the storm
At the same time, attention has been focused on technology service providers such as Cloudflare, accused of facilitating piracy. According to a ruling by the Civil Court of Milan, Cloudflare will have to stop selling services to entities involved in piracy and disclose the real IP addresses of users who have abused its tools to access illegal content. This initiative is part of a tougher line against piracy, with the aim of imposing monthly fines on a large number of users to discourage illicit behavior.
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Comments (1)
I read the article and I find it interesting but also a little worrying because the piracy situation in Italy is really serious. I hope that the authorities can find an effective solution without invading people's privacy.