📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Researchers Hunt Telegram Pirates with AI Tool, Flag Hundreds of Channels
https://torrentfreak.com/researchers-hunt-telegram-pirates-with-ai-tool-flag-hundreds-of-channels/
If you thought the Wild West was lawless, try browsing Telegram for pirated movies.
A new academic study has officially mapped the massive, sprawling ecosystem of video piracy on the platform, and the numbers are staggering. Researchers from Louisiana State University and the University of Texas at Arlington analyzed over a thousand channels, uncovering a world of 19,000+ pirated titles that have racked up a whopping 4.85 billion views.
The big takeaway? This isn’t just a few kids sharing files; it’s a highly organized machine. These pirate networks are “engineered to survive,” using a complex web of bots, backup accounts, and intermediary channels to dodge takedowns. They aren’t even relying on old-school torrents much anymore—instead, they’re redirecting users to external hosting sites and even sharing compromised streaming logins.
To fight back, the researchers built “Anti-RIP,” an AI-powered tool designed to hunt down these channels in real-time. It’s already proving its worth, flagging hundreds of brand-new channels and helping Telegram shut down over 500 of them in just two months. It’s officially the start of an AI-driven cat-and-mouse game between copyright holders and digital pirates.