As many as 4.5 out of every 10 Thai consumers who watch television at home have a set-top box that can be used to stream pirated TV and video content, a new behavioural study on viewing habits shows.
The TV boxes, also known as illicit streaming devices (ISDs), allow users to access hundreds of pirated TV channels and video-on-demand content, usually with a low annual fee. TV boxes often come pre-loaded with applications allowing "plug-and-play" access to pirated content.
The survey, commissioned by AVIA's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and conducted by YouGov, also highlights the detrimental effects of streaming piracy on legitimate subscription video services.
Some 69% of respondents who purchased a TV box or dongle for free streaming said they had cancelled all or some of their subscription to legal and paid-for TV services.
Nearly a quarter said they cancelled their subscriptions to a Thai-based online video service as a direct consequence of owning an ISD. International subscription services, which include pan-Asia-online offerings, were impacted the most -- almost a third of Thai users have abandoned subscriptions in favour of buying ISDs.
Cancelling legitimate subscription services and paying less for access to pirated content is fraught with risks, said Neil Gane, the general manager of CAP.
"The damage that piracy does to the creative industries is without dispute. However, the damage done to consumers themselves, because of the nexus between content piracy and malware, is only beginning to be recognised," he said.
He said piracy websites and app typically have a "click happy" user base, and the appetite for free or cheap pirated content "blinds users to the very real risks of malware infection", he added.
Of those consumers who own an ISD, about half of respondents (47%) claim to have purchased their device from two of the largest Southeast Asia-based e-commerce stores. Close to one-third of ISD owners (31%) said they acquired their devices via one of the world's most popular social media platforms.
Many of the people using ISDs are relatively young. The survey found they are favoured by those aged 18 to 24, with 77% in this age bracket cancelling legitimate subscription services after buying an ISD.
The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) at the Ministry of Commerce has proposed an amendment to the copyright act by adding provisions on the manufacture, sale, import or trafficking into the country of devices, or any parts or components of a device, for the purpose of circumventing technological safeguards.
Sompan Charumilinda, executive vice chairman at True Visions, said the high rate of piracy in Thailand is concerning for a number of reasons.
First is the danger to consumers through the use of malware and spyware embedded in these illicit sites and applications.
Second, he said, is the fact that supporting these criminal enterprises does real damage to legitimate businesses that are struggling to survive.
Third, it also undermines the Thailand 4.0 initiative and the country's aspiration to become counted among the world leaders in the new digital economy, he added.
