Piracy Statistics
What is online piracy? Internet piracy occurs when an individual or organization streams, downloads, or distributes copyrighted materials. TV, music, software, and film piracy are federal crimes that can result in imprisonment if convicted.
Digital piracy accounts for significant revenue losses in the music, broadcast, publishing, and movie industries. Internet users are hungry for free content and are constantly looking for sources to enjoy their favorite TV shows, movies, songs, and more. However, in many cases, they are unaware of the harm piracy sites pose to the economy and their personal lives.
While the U.S. economy bears the brunt of the losses, many other countries and territories also feel the pain. That includes places like China, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Brazil, Eastern and Western Europe, where citizens and industries lose revenue each year from users streaming pirated content.
In addition to the internet piracy information listed above, here are a few more shocking piracy facts about illegal downloading and streaming in the movie, TV, and music industries.
- An overwhelming majority of internet users (49%) believe there is nothing wrong with piracy websites and pirated content.
- Slightly more than one-third of Gen Zers have used stream rippers to watch TV shows or movies or to download music.
- Digital video piracy (i.e., illegal streaming, stream ripping, etc.) accounts for more than $75 billion in revenue losses for the global TV and movie industry.
- Illegal streaming services account for more than 96% of internet piracy
- TV, movie, and music piracy of copyrighted content accounts for nearly one-fourth of worldwide bandwidth.
- U.S. citizens are the largest consumers of pirated content.
- Ransomware is set to become a $74 billion annual scourge for consumers, small businesses, corporations, and non-profits. Even if a victim pays the ransom, there is no guarantee they will regain access to their data.
Statistic Topics
World Wide Data
Online piracy is not limited to North America. It is a global phenomenon with significant implications for the economy, the job market, and many industries. Listed below are a few worldwide piracy facts to keep you informed:
- The U.S., India, and Russia lead the world in the number of yearly visits to piracy sites. Combined, they made over 59 billion visits to piracy sites in 2024.
- Pirated videos (i.e., TV series, movies, etc.) accumulate more than 121 billion views per year.
- Roughly one-third of all music streamers and downloaders admit to listening to pirated music.
- Publishing piracy surged to 66.4 billion visits in 2024, with the U.S., Indonesia, and Russia leading all countries.
- Streaming sites account for more than half of pirated content on the internet.
Regional Piracy Trends
Historical Data
The use of illegal file-sharing, stream ripping, and unlicensed software is nothing new. TV series and movies are not the only pirated media. Digital piracy data insights provided by MUSO show that sites with pirated digital publishing content (i.e., e-books, audiobooks, magazines, etc.) have seen the most significant growth in recent years (4.3%% increase).
2025 Crime Types
Cyber Crime
Piracy is Theft
Online piracy and armed robbery seem very different on the surface. However, individuals convicted of either crime potentially face similar penalties: felony criminal record, imprisonment, fines, probation, and more. According to federal laws, online piracy is considered theft. It is punishable by up to five years imprisonment (perhaps more) and $250,000 in fines.
Amount of monetary damage caused by reported cybercrime to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) from 2001 to 2025 (in million U.S. dollars)
Identity Theft
Publishing, movie, music, and TV piracy are not only economic risks but also pose a significant personal risk for users of pirated content. Individuals who stream or download copyrighted materials from illegal streaming sites are vulnerable to vicious cyber attacks, resulting in identity theft.
Nearly eight out of ten pirate sites investigated served up malware-ridden ads to their users.
According to the Digital Citizens Unholy Triangle report, while not every visit to a piracy site results in malware, the investigation found that on average, 1 in 6 times, a visit to a piracy site leads to an attempt to serve malware to the user.
A report, Time to Compromise, commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and authored by Dr. Paul Watters, found it typically takes just 42 seconds for an “advanced persistent threat” such as malware to infect a Windows device and 78 seconds to infect an Android device.
Number of consumer complaints relating to identity theft lodged with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission from 2001 to 2020
Dangers of Digital Piracy
Illegally downloading or streaming copyrighted materials may seem like a cost-effective way to consume your favorite media. However, there are many hidden costs associated with online piracy.
They include, but are not limited to, exposure to age-inappropriate content, malware infections, phishing scams, cyber fraud, and more. Consuming pirated content can also have a direct impact on your finances through fraudulent purchases. The Digital Citizens Alliance, a nonprofit organization that focuses on educating consumers about threats they face online, noted:
Americans who used a credit card to purchase a piracy subscription service reported fraud issues afterwards, compared with only 18% of those who don’t use pirate sites.
Those who use piracy sites and apps are four times more likely to be victims of identity theft than those who consume content from safe and legal sources.
Nearly half of all piracy site and app users experienced identity theft compared to only 10% of users who consume content legally.
As part of a new online safety campaign about risks that consumers face online, the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) has partnered with the Attorneys General of 19 US states and the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) to co-develop a series of public service announcements (PSAs). These PSAs are designed to elevate consumer awareness about the risks of online piracy on malware and credit card fraud. Overall, the effects of viewing pirated content can last long after the content is downloaded or streamed.
When asked, a group of survey respondents who infringed and illegally streamed claimed they had experienced these hidden horrors:
There are no parental controls with pirated content, and explicit adverts may appear anytime.
Cyberthreats targeting young gamers surged by 30% in the first half of 2024 compared to the second half of 2023, with malware, phishing, and credential theft hidden inside illegal game downloads and unofficial streaming sites.
Teens and young adults are three times more likely to fall victim to online fraud than older age groups. Criminals use illegal streaming sites and downloads to attempt to steal personal information, passwords, and financial details.
How to Keep Your Family Safe
Consumers are up to 65 times more likely to be infected with malware when using piracy sites than when visiting legitimate websites. That means streaming or downloading even one pirated TV series, movie, e-book, song, etc., can result in an attack on your PC. Malware attacks can crack your passwords, spread through your home network, redirect you to malicious websites, and worse.
Not only can a malware attack infect your family computers, but it can also wreak havoc on work devices. With that in mind, here are a few steps to help keep your family safe from the negative effects of pirated content:
- Ensure your parental controls are working.
- Use a strong password.
- Update your malware and antivirus software.
- Educate your children about the importance of communicating with you when something doesn’t look right on their computer, phone, or tablet.
Protecting Children
Keeping your children safe from pirated materials is essential to protecting your family’s technology, privacy, and finances. Listed below are six safe streaming steps you can take to protect your children:
- Ensure your software and hardware are secure.
- Avoid clicking on suspicious or unreputable links.
- Stay away from piracy websites and stick to trusted content providers.
- Don’t share your passwords with anyone.
- Don’t use a free movie or tv show platform unless you’ve done your research.
- Go over internet safety rules and protocols with your family periodically.
If you’re unsure which streaming platforms you can trust, we’ve curated a list of the most popular legal and safe streaming services for you and your family to enjoy.
Sources
Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud Statistics for 2025
Streaming Piracy In 2026: 10 Signals We Can’t Afford To Ignore
Piracy Statistics, Trends And Facts (2025)
Illegal Streaming and Piracy Are on the Rise
Ransomware Damage To Cost The World $74B In 2026
Copyright Piracy Costs America up to $71 Billion: Hollywood Producer Ruth Vitale Speaks Out
Global Digital Piracy Statistics
New FTC Data Show a Big Jump in Reported Losses to Fraud to $12.5 Billion in 2024
2024 Piracy Trends and Insights
Piracy Statistics, Trends And Facts (2025)
Compromised Today, Exploited Tomorrow: Innovation Can Stop Fraud Cycle
Consumers 65 Times More Likely To Be Infected By Malware Through Piracy Sites
