Studies highlight LatAm piracy cybersecurity risks
May 1, 2026
By Colin Mann
Two new studies examining digital piracy across Latin America reveal that consumers who use illegal streaming, download, and IPTV services face dramatically higher risks of malware, phishing, financial fraud, and data compromise than users of legitimate online platforms. The research was commissioned by anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE).
Conducted by cybersecurity expert Dr Paul A Watters of Macquarie University and Cyberstronomy Pty Ltd, the studies comprise a regional analysis covering six Latin American countries, including Mexico, alongside a country specific study for Brazil. Together, the findings show that piracy in the region has evolved into a significant consumer cybersecurity and public safety threat, extending far beyond traditional intellectual property concerns.
Hundreds of piracy websites across multiple service categories were analysed using threat-intelligence data, which was aggregated across more than 90 global security providers.
“These studies make clear that illegal streaming sites and illicit devices are not just unlawful, they expose consumers to serious and measurable harm,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for ACE. “Digital piracy today exposes consumers to malware, financial fraud, and the theft of personal data. Combating piracy is essential to protecting consumers and strengthening the digital economy.”
Key findings:
• Streaming and peer-to-peer (P2P) piracy platforms were the most dangerous, with some posing up to 131 times higher cyber risk.
• Piracy websites were more than 21 times riskier than legitimate websites on average, rising to nearly 40 times higher risk in worst case scenarios.
• Scam piracy sites increasingly function solely as malware and fraud delivery portals.
• None of the countries studied exhibited environments safe from piracy.
• In the worst-case scenario, P2P piracy sites were 85 times riskier than legitimate websites in Mexico, followed by Scam piracy sites (61x) and Streaming piracy sites (58x).
Across all six countries analysed in Latin America, piracy platforms consistently exposed users to substantially higher cybersecurity risks than legitimate services. While the absolute level of risk varied by market and piracy type, the overall pattern was consistent: illegal streaming sites, P2P networks, IPTV services, and scam portals all represented persistent vectors for malware infection, credential theft, financial fraud, and data compromise. These findings underscore that piracy related cyber risk is a region wide phenomenon rather than a market specific anomaly.
In Mexico, consumers using piracy platforms faced on average more than a 30-fold increase in cyber threat exposure compared to mainstream legitimate websites, including exposure to malware, spyware, ransomware, cryptojacking, and phishing attacks. In the worst-case scenario, consumers using piracy sites faced on average more than a 50-fold increase in cyber-threat exposure compared to mainstream legitimate websites.
In Brazil, piracy platforms were on average 29 times more likely to expose users to cyber threats, rising to more than 54 times higher risk in worst case scenarios. Peer to peer, anime, and scam piracy sites showed the highest levels of cyber threats. In the worst-case scenario, P2P piracy sites were 100 times riskier than legitimate websites in Brazil, followed by Anime piracy sites (80x) and Scam piracy sites (67x).
These research findings highlight that the cyber risks associated with piracy sites are pervasive and quantifiable. No country exhibited a safe piracy environment in either the Latin America or Brazil study.
Both studies underscore the need for coordinated action by governments, enforcement agencies, internet service providers, and industry stakeholders to address piracy as a cybersecurity and consumer protection challenge through education, enforcement, and cooperation.