See what Gatonet is and how the app turned into crime

Gatonet is the name given to a moon. illegally broadcasting a TV service. Recently, the National Telecommunications Authority (Anatel) announced that it will block pirate TV Box sets and illegal decoders in an effort to reduce the practice of piracy.

However, there are many who do not know the real difference between a legitimate pay-TV service and an illegally provided service. Either because of the way it was transmitted, or because an operator didn’t know how to check if it belonged to a criminal group.

Therefore, today Technology World It explains what Gatonet is, along with sampling the real difference between legal and illegal cable TV services. Check out!

After all, how does Gatonet work?

Gatonet, a derivative of the act of stealing electricity, popularly known as “gato”, is named after one of the most famous cable TV operators in history: NET.

The naming also became popular at the beginning of the illegal practice, as at that time criminals would route the signal through transmission centers, street poles.

In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, when the practice started to become popular, there were many criminals who were offering “services”, some of them even employees of cable TV operators at the time.

As technology advances these are the same operators have started to adopt security mechanisms to prevent this illegal practice. Most notably, it referred to an ID card inserted into a residential or commercial device that is signaled only upon authorization of the installer by the company’s head office.

Still, that hasn’t stopped even organized crime, especially militias, from creating their own signaling hubs for customers paying for illegal services. In some cases, even front companies such as CNPJ and logos were used.

With the proliferation of internet broadcasts through the IPTV system, criminals have also updated themselves with the creation of new methods to deliver their illegal services. Even more so after the advent of pirated TV Box devices that send a retransmitted signal at no additional cost.

With the new measure taken by Anatel, it is expected that most of these services will disappear and those responsible for the unlawful provision will be punished. In addition to blocking the sale of pirated devices to receive signals from illegal services.

What is Gatonet worth?

The value of this illegal service varies widely, mainly in the way it is delivered. In the past, criminals charged a small sum of around R$30 to R$70 to access a broadcast, which in most cases didn’t even need a receiver, just a cable connected to the TV.

Over time, the practice has evolved. In order to circumvent the card system to recognize the original equipment of cable TV operators, criminals created authentication mechanisms for their illegal purchases. And for this amount, about R$100 was charged for the device and R$50 to R$100 per month.

Today, the most common application is the one that makes full use of it. IPTV system that is not considered a crime in itselfit can only occur as the activity is carried out.

In this case, some criminals only charge for the device, which can range from R$150 to R$700. However, in other more specific cases, a monthly fee of around R$100 is charged to get “support” from the illegal centre.

Is it a crime to use IPTV?

IPTV broadcasting is not a crime. In fact, it is a technology that uses the internet to broadcast live programming from channels or live events. It is the way the service is used that constitutes a crime.

For example, Globoplay offers full and live programs of some channels such as TV Globo and Futura for free after registering on the platform. You have to pay a subscription fee for closed channels such as SporTV and Multishow.

It is a crime to access these paid channels illegally for free. The way this content is consumed, whether through pirated TV Box devices or free signal sites, is an illegal practice.

In this way, avoid services from unknown TV Box sets or illegal origin TV operators so as not to contribute to organized crime and run the risk of being punished by law.

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