In September 2025, the Swedish government proposed new legislation to enable the imposition of fines on illegal IPTV subscribers. Currently, only the operators and resellers face criminal charges, fines, and imprisonment. If the new law is approved, pirate IPTV consumers will also be fined.
What started as a fraud investigation in Sweden became an illegal IPTV crackdown after investigators uncovered a multimillion-dollar IPTV operation popularly known as Nordicplay. At the same time, consumer data recovered from the investigation exposed at least 4,886 subscribers. Although these consumers faced no criminal charges, a new law could result in such subscribers being fined.
Speaking in September last year, Swedish Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand proposed that the existing law be rewritten to allow consumers to be fined as well. She added that ‘more and more Swedes are choosing to pay money into organized crime,’ which should have a consequence.
The new proposition was influenced by Eva Bergqvist, a Swedish special investigator and Director of Culture in Region Stockholm.
“We want to make it clear that you should not engage in what is illegal. We want to get away from the gray area and believe that just by highlighting the phenomenon, more people will understand that this feeds the criminal economy, and, for example, sports clubs, film, and TV producers lose, ” said Bergqvist during a press conference.
Fining illegal IPTV consumers was just one of the proposals. Other notable looming changes include removing illegal services from internet search results, blocking offending IP addresses, and streams. The new changes are expected to take effect in July 2026 once approved.
Exposed Subscribers During a Crackdown Reignites This Discussion
The potential fines for illegal IPTV consumers have become relevant again, a few months later, following a recent fraud investigation that exposed subscribers. The Swedish Tax Agency was investigating two men for suspected fraud totaling more than $3.8 million, only to discover that it was linked to illegal IPTV streaming.
According to Expressen, a 43-year-old has been charged alongside his 55-year-old associate for gross accounting fraud. The younger man earned approximately 35 million Swedish Kronor (about $3.8 million) through multiple companies, a strategy aimed at disguising the illegal operation.
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Nordicplay’s fraud money might be the primary issue, but it’s not what has attracted attention to this case. Exposure of customer details through payments has sparked a new conversation about data security and how law enforcement can flag customers who knowingly subscribe to illegal streaming services.
The Nordicplay customers paid for subscriptions via Swish, a Swedish mobile payment system. Swish accounts are linked to a personal identification number (PIN), which authorities used to identify more than 4,886 illegal IPTV subscribers.
The investigators found more than 20,000 contact details on the 43-year-old’s computer and phone. Further investigations identified 4886 of these contact details after linking them to Swish payments.
While these subscribers will not be persecuted, Rights Alliance lawyer Sara Lindback suggests that law enforcement can use such data to send a warning to offenders. Rights Alliance is a local anti-piracy organization in the Nordic region.
“If the police informed us that ‘Hi, your customer information has been found in a criminal investigation’, I think people might become a little more aware, ” Lindback argued.
Reaching out to pirate IPTV customers is not new. In 2020, UK police sent warning messages to subscribers using the IPTV service’s servers. After arresting GE Hosting’s operator for IPTV fraud, law enforcement used the servers to send cease-and-desist letters to customers, threatening prosecution under the UK’s Fraud Act.
30% of Swedes Consume Illegal IPTV
Illegal IPTV services have become widespread globally, and the Nordic region is no exception. Recent estimates indicate that Nordic One, a prominent pirated IPTV service provider in this region, could have an annual turnover of 700 million Kronor (about $78 million).
In 2024, MediaVision, a consulting firm based in Stockholm, conducted a survey to determine the consumption trends in the Nordic nations. According to the survey, over 700,000 households in Sweden regularly pay for illegal IPTV subscriptions.
The pyramid nature of the syndicate makes it hard for anti-piracy law enforcers to curb this practice. A few individuals at the top head the operation and control all the pirated content. This includes on-demand content, live sports, and IPTV. Below them are many resellers, who may, in turn, repackage the content and distribute it through other resellers.
For instance, Nordicplay is part of Nordic One and is headed by a 43-year-old who was charged with fraud. While the authorities were able to crack down on the Nordicplay operation, other resellers are still operating illegally and may take some time to track down.
Subscribers At Greater Risk of Exposure to Phishing and Fraud
While exposure to anti-piracy authorities is one concern consumers should have when dealing with illegal actors, there is a greater risk. Given how easy it is to obtain user data through payment tracking, it’s clear that these IPTV providers have access to sensitive consumer data.
Furthermore, illegitimate providers lack the robust infrastructure and security systems required to protect user data. This exposes user data to phishing and fraud risks. Rogue players and cybercriminals can harvest sensitive information, such as credit card details and biometric data, to commit identity theft and fraud.
“There are several studies from abroad that say that there is a greater risk of being exposed to phishing and fraud by exposing your customer information and card details to illegal actors,” explained Lindback.
Engaging with illegal streaming also opens up your devices to malware risks. Some providers distribute malware disguised as IPTV, sports, or on-demand content streams. Unsuspecting consumers download the files onto their devices. Viruses and other malicious files can damage devices and jeopardize online security.
The two Nordicplay associates are facing charges for accounting fraud, and not the illegal IPTV service business. Court records cite a failure to record the revenue from their pirate TV transactions as the offence.
The case is yet to go to trial, but the 43-year-old’s lawyer maintains that their client denies the crime and opposes most of the Tax Agency’s conclusions.’ This is not the first time he has faced fraud charges. In 2018, he was sentenced to two years in prison for gross fraud and receiving money.
The 55-year-old associate also denies all the charges.
Conclusion
Sweden’s proposed move to fine IPTV subscribers signals a broader shift in anti-piracy enforcement. Even where penalties are not yet applied, investigations increasingly expose user data. For consumers, illegal streaming now carries growing legal, privacy, and security risks alongside the usual ethical concerns.
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