Galway among 7 counties targeted by “dodgy box” crackdown

Galway Bay fm newsroom – Galway is one of seven counties being targetted in a crackdown on “dodgy boxes”.

The devices, typically an Android Box, offer illegal subscription access to premium TV and sports channels, as well as streaming services.

In 2019, a report found that Ireland has the sixth highest-use of the so-called “dodgy box” in the EU.

The devices offer illegal streams of TV and streaming content, often from broadcast feeds in regions such as the US or the Middle East.

In Ireland, it’s illegal not just to sell these boxes – but also to have or use them.

According to the Irish Independent, legal warnings are now being sent out for Galway, Cork, Dublin, Laois, Louth, Mayo and Monaghan.

The action comes after authorities’ claims that an earlier crackdown this year resulted in several dodgy box operators being shut down.

The organisation leading the crackdown, the Federation Against Copyright Theft, says it’s working with Gardaí on the matter.