Thousands of websites taken down in crackdown on illegal World Cup streams

Thousands of websites used to illegally stream FIFA World Cup matches have been blocked or seized in a multinational enforcement operation led by US and South American authorities, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

Nearly 3,000 websites were taken down during the tournament, including more than 1,000 domains in the United States and a similar number in Colombia, Caliber.Az reports, citing british media. 

Another 830 websites in Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and the Dominican Republic were also shut down under Operation Offsides and Operation Red Card.

Ivan J. Arvelo, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC), said unauthorised broadcasting of World Cup matches violates intellectual property rights and "fuels criminal organizations."

The DOJ said it had previously announced the seizure of 400 webpages linked to illegal World Cup streaming, with hundreds more since blocked or taken offline.

"The sustained effort to seize more than a thousand domains dedicated to illegally streaming the World Cup confirms the administration's commitment to intellectual property rights and to the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva.

The operation was largely overseen by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The crackdown was also supported by FIFA, beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Ultimate Fighting Championship and Warner Brothers.

In Colombia, authorities arrested four members of the alleged cybercriminal group Los Ciberinfiltrados for allegedly obtaining and distributing unauthorised access to World Cup matches.

Colombian authorities also carried out nationwide search-and-seizure operations targeting counterfeit sports clothing. The DOJ said 11 people in the country had been arrested and convicted for the illegal manufacture and distribution of counterfeit sporting merchandise.

By Aghakazim Guliyev