Men Arrested in Magis TV Piracy Raids Also Face Malicious Software Charges
Police raids in Colombia and Ecuador this week against people involved in the sale and supply of illegal streaming service Magis TV, have an unusual component. In addition to the usual charges relating to the distribution of unlicensed streams, initial reports suggest that cybersecurity crimes relating to the functionality of the Magis TV software will also feature among the charges.
magis_tv_sThere are dozens of recognizable brands in the illegal streaming market, all jostling for position in a chaotic market where trademarks are copied even more readily than movies or live TV streams.
In Latin America, one brand stands out more than most, and not just because it has a bright orange logo. Believed to operate out of China, illegal streaming service Magis TV is consumed via a now ubiquitous Android app, made available on hundreds of websites, including those operated by a very large network of resellers.
Rightsholders in the United States consider Magis TV a priority threat yet despite various enforcement measures in multiple countries, the service remains stubbornly online.
Law Enforcement Operation in Colombia
On the back of action in Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina in recent months, police in Colombia targeted people involved in the supply of Magis TV earlier this week.
Information released by the Attorney General’s Office indicates that two brothers, arrested after being tracked by the Specialized Directorate Against Computer Crimes, had been providing access to illegal TV streams under the brands ‘Magis TV’ and ‘Magis Oficial.’
In common with the majority of similar cases, the pair stand accused of violating the intellectual property rights of multinational entertainment companies.
Brothers arrested (image credit: Fiscalía Colombia)
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While operations like these aren’t especially rare, the charges faced by the brothers go beyond copyright infringement.
Piracy and Malicious Software Charges
“The brothers Juan Diego and José Daniel Santacruz Benavidez were arrested following investigations carried out by the CTI and the National Police in Pasto (Nariño). These people were brought before a judge and charged with the crimes of violation of copyright and use of malicious software,” the official statement reads.
“Those interested in acquiring these tools, called ‘Magis TV’ and ‘Magis Official’, accessed two websites to download them and thus access the audiovisual offer; however, they also installed malicious software on their devices that enabled the camera, alerted about the user’s geolocation, and facilitated the transmission of personal data, photographs and videos, to external storage.”
As previously reported, cybersecurity firm ESET previously linked Magis TV to malware and botnets. As far as we’re aware, these data exfiltration claims are new but since the Magis TV app comes in many shapes and sizes, there’s no one-size-fits-all analysis that applies across the board.
Malware Claims Gain Credibility in Colombia
Rightsholders have fully embraced malware warnings as part of their deterrent messaging in recent years. Unfortunately, the manner in which those claims are delivered meets a credibility crisis that’s difficult to overcome.
On one hand, malware and similar issues are portrayed as incredibly serious for consumers. Yet when other piracy risks are discussed in parallel – such as being arrested by the police for simply watching pirate IPTV – the emphasis is suddenly back on a comparatively minor crime for which the police continually find the resources.
The end result is a stream of pirates prosecuted for copyright infringement or fraud repeatedly hitting the headlines. Meanwhile, prosecutions for spreading malware, stealing identities, and other serious offenses, are completely non-existent.
Through this action, malware warnings have just become instantly more credible; they may even find support among the public.
Enforcement Action in Ecuador
The war against Magis TV in Ecuador has been underway for some time, with numerous blocking orders attempting to prevent access to dozens, if not hundreds of websites.
Information released by police on Wednesday announced the arrest of a man in the province of Guayas, said to be behind “one of the largest illegal streaming providers.” When contacted by local publication Primicias seeking clarification, police confirmed that this operation also targeted Magis TV.
A short video posted to X by Ecuadorian Police, is a reminder that the IT Crowd’s parody of ‘Piracy, It’s a Crime’ just a few years ago, is now just one restless finger away from becoming reality.
An Extra.ec report published late Wednesday identifies Javier Eduardo López Cassan as the man arrested. He’s described as an “administrator of Magis TV” but what that means here is unclear. Resellers commonly have their own Magis TV-branded websites while others sell via social media; 51-year-old Cassan sold via WhatsApp and other platforms, police confirmed.
In any event, police weren’t taking anything for granted, as the video shows.
“More than 20 agents from different units participated in the operation, including the National Cybercrime Unit, the G3 Tactical Group of Guayaquil, plus Criminalistics and the Law Enforcement Unit (UMO). According to the Judiciary, López Cassan already had a criminal record for concealing stolen objects and had two legal proceedings for failure to comply with alimony obligations,” the publication reported.
Whether copyright charges will feature in this case isn’t made clear but according to the authorities, cybercrime offenses most certainly will. Cassan is facing charges of ‘unauthorized access to a computer, telematic or telecommunications system,’ which carries a potential sentence of between three and five years in prison.
