A decade and a half on from the Pirate Bay trial, the winds have begun to shift. On an unusually warm summer’s day, I sit with fellow film critics by the old city harbour, once a haven for merchants and, rumour has it, smugglers. Cold bigstrongs in hand (that’s what they call pints up here), they start venting about the “enshittification” of streaming – enshittification being the process by which platforms degrade their services and ultimately die in the pursuit of profit. Netflix now costs upwards of 199 SEK (£15), and you need more and more subscriptions to watch the same shows you used to find in one place. Most platforms now offer plans that, despite the fee, force advertisements on subscribers. Regional restrictions often compel users to use VPNs to access the full selection of available content. The average European household now spends close to €700 (£600) a year on three or more VOD subscriptions. People pay more and get less.

According to London‑based piracy monitoring and content‑protection firm MUSO, unlicensed streaming is the predominant source of TV and film piracy, accounting for 96% in 2023. Piracy reached a low in 2020, with 130bn website visits. But by 2024 that number had risen to 216bn. In Sweden, 25% of people surveyed reported pirating in 2024, a trend mostly driven by those aged 15 to 24. Piracy is back, just sailing under a different flag.

  • Zephorah@discuss.online
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    32
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 months ago

    It’s fine when there’s one or two high quality. The current setup is to bleed people dry.

    • Bronzie@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      2 months ago

      Spot on!

      The moment music starts being split up between companies is the day I start pirating music again too.
      My NAS and media NUC have soon paid for themselves from saving on streaming services. Adding music to it won’t cost me a dime.