📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Belgian Orders Demand Pirate Site Operators’ Bank Details, Crypto Wallets and Server Logs
The Belgian authorities are playing a high-stakes game of digital hide-and-seek, and they’re tired of losing.
For years, anti-piracy groups have relied on blocking websites, only to watch pirate operators hop to a new domain name faster than you can click “skip ad.” Now, Belgium’s Department for Combating Online Infringement (BAPO) is changing its strategy: instead of chasing the site, they’re going after the person behind it.
Through a series of court orders, Belgian authorities are demanding that domain registrars hand over a massive digital paper trail. We aren’t just talking about names and emails; they are digging for:
- Full banking details (IBANs and card types)
- Crypto wallet addresses and transaction IDs
- Detailed server logs (IP addresses, device types, and browser history)
The goal? To unmask the operators behind sites that are likely streaming sports content.
There’s a catch: a strict gag order is in place, meaning these registrars can’t even tell the users they’re being investigated. It’s a bold, aggressive move that tests the limits of EU law, but whether it actually catches the “big fish” remains to be seen.