In a nutshell: Italian authorities dismantled the CINEMAGOAL network, which harvested authentication codes every three minutes and relayed direct streams from Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify, causing an estimated damage of 300 million euros.
Italian investigators have dismantled a piracy ecosystem centered on the CINEMAGOAL app, which provided access to Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, and other streaming services using stolen authentication codes. Operation “Tutto Chiaro” led to 100 raids and the seizure of servers in France and Germany.
In the large-scale anti-piracy operation, authorities led by the Guardia di Finanza (Financial Police) broke up a network that differed from classical IPTV providers: rather than operating through streaming services on the internet, CINEMAGOAL distributed an app that users installed on their devices. The approach was thus more discrete and harder to track than traditional piracy platforms.
The technical system was highly sophisticated: CINEMAGOAL used virtual machines in Italy to harvest valid authentication and decryption codes from legitimate subscriptions every three minutes and forward them to customers. These subscriptions were opened using forged identity data at Sky, DAZN, Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify. The service relayed streams directly from the original platforms – users thus received original quality instead of compressed pirate streams. Additionally, CINEMAGOAL masked the IP addresses of end users and thereby circumvented the control systems of the platforms far more effectively than conventional illegal services.
The operation deployed 200 financial police officers and coordination through Eurojust. Authorities seized CINEMAGOAL servers in France and Germany containing source code and decoding functions. The network operated more than 70 resellers offering annual subscriptions between 40 and 130 euros. Payments were made via cryptocurrencies or accounts under false names abroad.
According to the Guardia di Finanza, CINEMAGOAL likely generated millions of euros in revenue. The estimated damage from lost subscription fees amounts to approximately 300 million euros. Authorities have already identified over 1,000 users and imposed fines between 154 and 5,000 euros. The investigation is still in a preliminary stage. In the course of the same operation, the IPTV service “pezzotto” was also identified and dismantled.
Source: ainews-dev.lumi-systems.io · Published 23 May 2026
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