Two Arrested For Offering Illegal Internet Services
Two Arrested For Offering Illegal Internet Services
Two individuals have been detained for allegedly offering illicit internet services in Nairobi County. They are connected to Lime Fiber Internet, an ISP.
The two were taken into custody after an operation against illicit Internet service providers (ISPs) in the County, led by the Kenya Police Cybercrime and Crime Scene Forensic Units and the Partners Against Piracy Association of Kenya (PAP).
During the operation, several devices used in the illegal activities were seized. These included five cell phones, two VoIP headsets, three CPUs, twelve hard drives, one laptop, four internet switches, and one optical line terminal.
“This intervention has disrupted the illegal services provided to approximately 3,000 subscribers in the Kasarani-Mwiki- Santon areas, who were illegally accessing premium content, such as English Premier League (EPL), WWC and La Liga live sports through the WeCast App,” the PAP stated in a statement to newsrooms.
“The investigations revealed that the WeCast App is installed on the client’s mobile phone or digital television upon subscription to Lime Fiber internet, where login details are provided by the perpetrators.”
PAP went on to say that this kind of unlawful action damages the investment made in creating high-quality content overall and deprives legitimate owners of their just compensation.
“This illicit activity deprives rightful owners of their due revenue, and impacts the overall investment in quality content creation,” stated PAP.
“Additionally, it creates unfair competition for other ISPs, Video On Demand services and Broadcasters, operating within the legal framework, by adhering to copyright laws and ethical business practices, as well as paying taxes.”
Copyright infringement is defined as a criminal offense under Section 36(6) of the Copyright Act, which carries a maximum fine of Ksh. 800,000 and/or a potential sentence of 10 years in jail.
