Seven people have been arrested in Spain for card sharing.

The arrests, in early April 2016, were made in several Spanish cities: Madrid, Terrasa, Toledo, Córdoba and Cuevas Bajas in Málaga.

The arrested people used card-sharing, where one of them legally subscribed to a pay-TV platform, and then gave illegal access to content from his subscription to many others using manipulated satellite receivers connected to the internet and their card sharing servers.

The seven arrested advertised their service online. It is thought that their customer database may be used to identify those people who were using their system.

The police operation started following a claim from La Liga warning of the existence of the pirate network.

What is Card Sharing?

Card sharing is an illegal practice used to gain unauthorized access to paid television services. It involves sharing a single subscription card’s decryption codes over the internet with multiple users, allowing them to view the content without paying for their own subscription.

In a typical setup, a legitimate subscriber inserts their smart card, provided by the television service provider, into a card-sharing server. This server then distributes the decryption codes from the card to other users who have compatible receivers connected to the internet. As a result, these users can access encrypted TV channels without having their own subscription, bypassing the provider’s payment systems.

Card sharing is considered a form of piracy and is illegal in many countries. It violates the terms of service agreements with television providers and can lead to legal action against those involved, including both the operators of card-sharing networks and the users who take advantage of them. Television providers continually work to combat card sharing through technological advancements and legal measures.