Ecuador leads South America in digital piracy

Ecuador leads South America in the rate of digital piracy, with 65% of internet-connected households consuming content illegally. “The practice not only causes economic losses but exposes the personal information of millions of Ecuadorians,” says Jorge Bacaloni, president of the Alianza Against Online Piracy. At this week’s Third International Workshop Against Digital Piracy in Quito, Bacaloni claimed piracy costs the national economy $622 million annually and deprives the government $75 million in tax revenue. “In addition, the practice means young people are deprived of 2,000 well-paying jobs,” he says. Bacaloni said his alliance is working with government officials and members of the National Assembly to revise and update laws to crack down on digital theft. “We have rules in place but they are vague and outdated and there is little enforcement,” he says. “We are providing information to officials about the extent of the piracy, how it affects the economy, and methods to stop it.” Many of those who access pirated internet content are not aware they are breaking the law, says Carlos Castro, an attendee of Thursday’s workshop said. “It is common practice for technically saavy young people to download the apps without telling their parents or others in the household there is anything wrong with them,” he says. “Even those who download the apps may not know what they’re doing is illegal, they just know their friends are doing the same thing.” According to Castro, the financial losses have “real life” impacts. “For example, the football teams in Quito, Riobamba and Cuenca are losing millions of dollars a year in tv revenue they need to operate, and this affects salaries and the local economy.” Bacaloni says digital piracy must be considered in the international context, since the practice does not respect borders. “Beyond financial and employment losses in Ecuador, there is damage to those who produce the content that is being stolen,” he says. “There are billions of dollars of investments by international entertainment and technology companies that are lost.” Beyond new regulations and enforcement, Bacaloni says the public should be made aware of the risks of pirated software. “Foreign actors in Africa, India and China can gain access to people’s bank accounts and other records. They can steal your life’s savings, and this is why people need to understand the full consequences of what they are doing when the use pirated programs.” The post Ecuador leads South America in digital piracy appeared first on CuencaHighLife.