A new study from the University of Portsmouth shows that threatening anti-piracy messages can actually increase digital piracy among men. The study, published in the Journal of Business Ethics, found that men were 18% more likely to pirate content after being exposed to threatening anti-piracy messages, while women responded positively and reduced their piracy intentions.
This study illustrates the complex psychology behind anti-piracy messages. While the risks and legal consequences may deter some groups, threatening tactics may have severe backlash for others. We need to better understand the psychology of our audiences to design campaigns that reduce digital piracy rather than increase it.
Digital piracy – the acquisition of copyright-protected content through unauthorized sources – is a major challenge facing creative industries around the world. This study examines the effectiveness of different types of anti-piracy messages in deterring piracy intentions and behaviors.
Researchers, led by Kate Whitman of the University of Portsmouth's Center for Cybercrime and Economic Crime, tested participants' responses to three real-world anti-piracy campaigns - two that used threatening language about legal consequences and one that focused on educating people about the dangers of piracy.
One of the threat messages from the independent charity "Crimestoppers" focuses on risks such as viruses, hacker attacks, and identity theft. Another outlines the legal consequences of piracy under France's "three strikes" law, which terminates Internet access after multiple warnings of infringement. Educational messages highlight the economic and ethical impacts of piracy and promote legal alternatives.
Whitman explained that while men overall are more likely to piracy than women, they still wanted to study differences in gender responses to anti-piracy messages. "We found that when it comes to combating piracy, one size does not fit all - men and women respond very differently."
Although educational messages had no effect on piracy intentions, the results showed clear gender differences in responses to threatening messages. Women's response to threats reduced piracy intentions by more than 50%, but men's responses increased piracy intentions by 18%.
"Research shows that anti-piracy messages can inadvertently increase piracy, a phenomenon known as psychological reactivity. From an evolutionary psychology perspective, men have a stronger reaction when their freedom is threatened, so they do the opposite," Whitman explains.
Furthermore, those with the most favorable attitudes toward piracy showed the most extreme reactions, with threatening messages further increasing their piracy behavior.
Whitman concluded that anti-piracy advocates need a targeted approach to effectively reduce piracy and avoid unintended backlash. Since messages cannot always be gender-targeted, it is safest to avoid threats where gender cannot be determined.
Data from British tracking company MUSO shows that piracy has been on the rise since 2021 after years of decline. The top priority is to act smarter, but that will be tricky as streaming platforms like Netflix and Apple TV continue to raise prices.