In Argentina, a court has ordered Google to “reach inside” Android users’ devices with its long censorship arm, and remove an IPTV app called MagisTV – provided those devices have Argentinian IP addresses.
The order is considered unprecedented, and so potentially setting a precedent for other countries, while MagisTV is described as a “pirate app” that users sideload, that is, it can’t be found on Google’s Play Store.
Nevertheless, the authorities and Argentina appear to be implementing a multi-pronged approach to act on behalf of copyright holders. The extraordinary court order comes in concert with local ISPs blocking 69 domains, seemingly targeted for reselling MagisTV subscriptions.
At the same time, a number of arrests have recently happened in Brazil (reports say as part of Operation 404), but also in Argentina, and according to the local press, this has to do with MagisTV as well. Even those considered to be “marketers” with links to the IPTV app are being sought by the police.
There have also been raids on-premises and stores believed to be selling TV boxes with MagisTV app installed.
Meanwhile, the order issued to Google came from Judge Esteban Rossignoli, who, in addition to approving the investigators’ request to have ISPs block nearly 70 domains, wants the US tech giant to “immediately” uninstall MagisTV app from Android devices with Argentinian IP addresses.
The court order names the file that users are sideloading to get the app, as well as associated SHA1 and MD5 hash values.
Argentina’s Specialized Unit on Cybercrime (UFEIC) headed by Prosecutor Alejandro Musso is quoted as saying that something of the kind “has never been done before,” but defends the order, which he himself calls “unprecedented,” as necessary.
Now observers worry how copyright holders (perpetually hungry for every last drop of profit they can squeeze out of content) will react to this new turn the “war on (software)” piracy has taken.
The holders have been known to seize upon every opportunity, including by using methods and rules devised in one country to justify actions in another.
At present, one big question remains without any answer: namely, Google’s reaction to all this.
