Pirate IPTV Services Removed by Google in UK Search Results (2024)

In a recent development, Google has taken action against several pirate IPTV services by removing their websites from search results in the UK.

This move comes after Sky, a major British telecommunications company, issued a notice to the search engine giant, citing a High Court order that previously blocked the domain names in question by local Internet providers.

Google’s compliance with Sky’s request demonstrates a growing trend of cooperation between the tech giant and rights holders. This collaboration extends beyond targeting traditional pirate sites that directly host or link to pirated content.

The removal of IPTV service websites from search results highlights Google’s willingness to address the issue of unauthorized streaming and broadcasting.

The UK’s Ongoing Battle Against Piracy

The United Kingdom has a long history of taking measures to combat online piracy. Since 2011, when the High Court granted permission for a blockade against Newzbin2, numerous other pirate sites, including The Pirate Bay, have been blocked.

While these efforts have not completely eradicated access to pirate sites in the UK, they have made it more difficult for casual pirates to find and consume unauthorized content. Rightsholders have found an unlikely ally in Google, which has been voluntarily removing pirate sites from its search results when presented with applicable site-blocking orders.

Google’s Evolving Stance on Piracy

Google’s cooperation with rightsholders in removing pirate sites from search results marks a significant shift in the company’s approach to online piracy. In the past, the tech giant opposed whole-site removals, arguing that such actions could be counterproductive and jeopardize the free flow of information on the Internet.

However, in recent years, Google has adopted a more cooperative policy, regularly complying with removal requests for torrent, download, and streaming piracy sites. The company has also removed thousands of YouTube-ripper domains after being alerted to relevant court orders by music group BPI.

IPTV Services: A New Target

The latest notice from Sky, dated April 23, reported several domain names linked to IPTV providers as infringing domains. These domains, including geniptv.net, iptvmain.store, iptvmain.tv, and iptvmain.uk, are associated with IPTV services that were subject to a High Court injunction issued in 2023.

Unlike traditional pirate sites, these IPTV service websites do not directly host infringing content. Instead, they sell IPTV subscriptions that provide access to unauthorized live broadcasts, including sports events, as well as on-demand films and series. Despite claims of operating within legal boundaries, Sky believes these services are engaging in copyright infringement, and the High Court agrees.

The Future of Anti-Piracy Measures

The removal of IPTV service websites from Google’s search results in the UK is just one of many actions taken by rightsholders to combat online piracy. The High Court injunction that led to these removals allows for dynamic and time-sensitive IP address and URL blocking, as well as static domain name blockades by local ISPs.

While the effectiveness of these search engine removals remains to be seen, they are undoubtedly a step forward in Sky’s efforts to make IPTV services less accessible to the public. It remains unclear whether Google will be open to more aggressive anti-piracy measures in the future, such as DNS blocking or even direct Chrome browser blocks.

If you search for anything related to “UK IPTV Services” in the United States, it appears that Google has not removed the majority of these pirate websites.

For more details on this story, refer to the report from TorrentFreak and the Court Order of targeted IPTV domains.

We want to know your thoughts on this story. What do you think about the Google removing IPTV services from Google Search results in the UK?

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