Kakao Entertainment Shuts Down 11 Piracy Sites, Deletes 160 Million Illegal Works in 1st Half of 2025 – News

Kakao Entertainmentthe parent company of Webtoon platform snackIt announced on August 19 that it closed 11 piracy sites around the world and deleted more than 160 million illegally distributed works in the first half of 2025 as part of its ongoing global anti-piracy campaign.

The company details its latest results in its seventh anti-pirate white paper, outlining how it can track and destroy piracy networks with a three-step strategy: targeting illegal locations, tracking operators, and inducing ouster by voluntary closures or legal actions. Since the establishment of the anti-piracy task force in 2021 Kakao Entertainment The operators behind more than 130 sites have been identified, resulting in 29 closures.

A key tool is Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) – collecting and analyzing digital traces remaining across domains, servers and social media. Kakao uses this information to work with Interpol and law enforcement agencies in China, Vietnam, Brazil, Spain and other countries to put pressure on operators and ensure the removal of bulk content.

Kakao Entertainment It points out that one of the most important closures in the first half of this year is closure In May, Reaper Scans, a major English-language hub for pirated online images and online novels, was estimated to have 10 million monthly visits, estimated to be $500 million in damages.

Kakao Entertainment It is also confirmed that it is filing lawsuits and criminal proceedings against piracy site operators in China, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Brazil and Spain, demonstrating a positive legal strategy as well as a technical crackdown.

The company stressed that as online images and online novels continue to expand global visibility, protecting creators and preserving equitable distribution channels remain at the heart of its mission.

source: Then (Se-Won Lee)