Providing Illegal App Downloads by Avoiding Address Blocks
Security Concerns Including Copyright and Malware
The illegal streaming site ‘NunuTV,’ which operates servers in the Dominican Republic, has responded to the government’s URL blocking by releasing a dedicated application.
On the 6th, NunuTV introduced a new download menu along with a notice stating, “To minimize recent frequent address blocks and inconveniences caused by ‘phishing apps,’ we are providing a way to download a self-developed app.”
The app was released on the same day the Ministry of Science and ICT held a meeting with the online video service (OTT) industry and stated, “We will track NunuTV to the end and strive to ensure that content created with much blood, sweat, and capital is properly valued and distributed.”
Previously, the government, responding to requests from online video service (OTT) providers, blocked URLs once a week starting December last year and increased the blocking frequency to twice a week from the end of February. However, despite these measures, NunuTV continued illegal operations by changing internet addresses.
Amid ongoing criticism, NunuTV announced it would “delete all Korean OTT content” for the time being. Nevertheless, Netflix content such as ‘Gil Boksoon’ continues to be illegally streamed in real-time, and the distribution of a dedicated app has further fueled controversy.
Notice about the dedicated app posted on the Nunutv website [Image source=Screenshot of Nunutv website]
The currently released app is available for Android smartphones and the PC internet browser Chrome, with plans to provide an iOS version soon.
Because of copyright issues, the app cannot be registered on official app stores and is distributed as an APK file for self-download. By tapping, users can immediately access NunuTV through a bypassed address. There are also concerns about potential malware inclusion, raising security issues separate from copyright infringement.
A representative from the Broadcasting Promotion Planning Division of the Ministry of Science and ICT said they are reviewing countermeasures against the app distribution and expressed concern, stating, “Experts warn that no one knows the harmfulness of illegal distribution apps, and installing them could lead to unpredictable situations.”
According to the industry, as of February, NunuTV’s total video views reached approximately 1.5 billion, surpassing the number of visitors to legally operated domestic OTT services. The estimated damage caused by NunuTV is over 4.9 trillion won.
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