The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is stepping up efforts to tackle digital piracy by targeting apps that are sideloaded onto connected devices outside official app stores.
ACE argues that piracy apps obtained from websites and file-sharing platforms bypass the security and piracy checks applied by major stores such as the Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store and Google Play. It says many of these apps carry malware, harvest personal data, track user behaviour and use deceptive advertising or fake payment prompts to funnel money into criminal operations.
As part of its campaign, ACE is sharing intelligence on piracy apps with Amazon, Apple, Google and other partners to enable faster enforcement, including identifying and disabling third-party apps that provide access to pirated content. The group says closer collaboration with platforms, app stores and service providers is making it easier to block the installation or functioning of piracy-enabling apps, including those that are sideloaded, and to steer users towards legal services.
ACE also links the issue to ongoing regulatory debates, warning that mandates to open up devices to sideloading – such as those introduced or considered in parts of the European Union – need to take account of the impact on user security and intellectual property protection.
The organisation is urging consumers to stick to recognised app stores with built-in security and anti-piracy measures, framing sideloading of piracy apps as a growing risk that can lead to malware infection, data theft, financial fraud and device compromise.
