Authorities in five Latin American countries blocked access to more than 300 domains linked to stream ripping and malware distribution on 23 September 2026. The coordinated action, named Operation LUMEN, was conceived and led by Peru’s INDECOPI and involved agencies from Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.
IFPI, the organisation representing the recording industry worldwide, said the operation targets domains associated with copyright infringement and malware distribution.
Authorities involved
- Peru: INDECOPI (lead agency)
- Paraguay: DINAPI
- Brazil: CyberGaeco and ANCINE
- Dominican Republic: ONDA
- Ecuador: SENADI
Blocking impact and prior research
Internet service providers in participating countries will block access to the identified domains. The blocking is intended to reduce consumer exposure to copyright-infringing services and malicious online activity.
The targeted sites collectively attracted an average of 15 million visits per month over the last year and reached more than 5.4 million unique visitors during the same period. Analysis found that 44 of the 317 targeted sites were associated with malware distribution or other malicious activity, affecting more than 4.7 million users.
A study carried out last year by IFPI into website blocking demonstrated that regular and well-targeted blocking actions can be an effective tool in reducing traffic to illegal sites and helping to steer users towards licensed music services. The study found that consistent blocking of infringing sites caused a 15 to 50% increase in visits to licensed music services such as Spotify and Amazon Music and a 3 to 8% increase in visits to paid new account or upgrade pages.
Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI, said:
“Operation LUMEN shows what can be achieved when authorities work together across borders to tackle threats like piracy. IFPI’s study confirmed that website blocking can be an effective and proportionate tool in disrupting access to illegal services, including by helping to drive users towards licensed services and paid subscription pages, and this coordinated action will help disrupt hundreds of infringing and harmful sites. We commend the leadership and cooperation of the authorities participating – this initiative will help protect artists and fans while supporting a healthier digital marketplace for music.”
The operation builds on longstanding cooperation between IFPI and enforcement authorities throughout the region and reflects increasing recognition of the effectiveness of site blocking and other disruption measures in reducing access to infringing content.
