Following several investigations in the areas of Lisbon, Guarda and the north of the country Portuguese police dismantled a card sharing network which provided unauthorised access to TV content. According to information released by the police the network was operated by two individuals and had over 650 customers. Profits of about €5,000 per month were being earned. More than 10 card sharing servers where seized together with some 100 pirate decoders

The police investigation has been carried out with the collaboration of the the European association that fights audiovisual piracy – AEPOC is the “Association Européenne pour la Protection des Œuvres et Services Cryptés” or the “European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services.

The police have acted in several areas of Lisbon, Guarda and the north Luso.

The network was dismantled by police operated by two people who had more than 650 customers, generating economic benefits in excess of 5,000 euros per month.

In the operation police have seized a dozen servers with the smart card to access the ZON TV Cabo signal along with some 100 decoders.

What is Cardsharing?

Cardsharing is the system used to share a credit card from a pay TV platform to be able to see through an Internet connection and a receiver all the channels that have contracted with the operator in another location and another receiver.

Cardsharing is an illegal practice that allows multiple users to access paid satellite or cable TV channels without having individual subscriptions. It works by sharing the decryption codes from a legitimate subscriber’s smart card over the internet with others who use compatible set-top boxes or receivers.

The smart card, usually provided by a TV service provider, decrypts the broadcasted channels. In cardsharing, a server connects to this card and distributes the decryption keys to other users, allowing them to watch encrypted channels for free or at a lower cost. This practice is illegal and considered a form of piracy, as it bypasses the need for separate subscriptions, violating the terms of service of TV providers. Many service providers use advanced encryption methods to combat this practice, and those involved in cardsharing, whether operators or users, may face legal consequences.