UCC RALLIES STAKEHOLDERS TO COMBAT DIGITAL PIRACY

KAMPALA, July 13, 2026 – The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has convened a high-level stakeholder engagement to strengthen national collaboration against digital piracy, describing it as a national challenge with far-reaching implications for Uganda’s creative economy.

Held at UCC House in Kampala, the engagement brought together regulators, broadcasters, telecommunications operators, internet service providers (ISPs), technology companies, copyright holders, law enforcement agencies, traders’ associations and content creators to develop a coordinated response to digital piracy.

Participants included representatives from MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda, Lyca Mobile, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and other key public and private sector institutions.

The meeting sought to build a common understanding of the nature and impact of digital piracy, explore practical content-blocking technologies, and lay the foundation for a national anti-piracy coordination framework to strengthen enforcement, information sharing, policy coordination and public awareness.

Opening the engagement, the Executive Director of UCC, Hon. Nyombi Thembo, expressed concern that digital piracy has evolved from merely a challenge for broadcasters and copyright holders to a national problem requiring collective action.

He noted that piracy discourages investment, undermines innovation, distorts fair competition and reduces government revenue. Beyond its economic impact, he said, illegal streaming platforms and unauthorised digital applications expose consumers to cyber threats, fraud and identity theft, making piracy a broader consumer protection and digital security concern.

Hon. Nyombi Thembo urged stakeholders to move beyond diagnosing the problem and work together to implement practical, enforceable solutions that safeguard intellectual property, encourage innovation and support Uganda’s digital economy.

Presenting on the extent and impact of digital piracy in Uganda, Dr. Abudu Sallam Waiswa, Head of Litigation, Prosecution and Legal Advisory at UCC, said piracy affects the entire communications ecosystem and should not be viewed solely as a challenge for pay television operators.

He observed that while some consumers are attracted to illegal streaming platforms because of their lower cost and some traders profit from unauthorised streaming devices, the long-term consequences include declining revenues, reduced investment and threats to the sustainability of Uganda’s communications and creative industries.

Dr. Waiswa presented UCC market data showing that legitimate pay television subscriptions had declined from approximately 1.65 million in 2021 to 1.6 million in 2022, 1.5 million in 2023, one million in 2024, recovered slightly to 1.1 million in 2025, before falling further to about 800,000 by March 2026. He said the decline had contributed to reduced revenues, organisational restructuring and job losses affecting broadcasters, local content creators, actors, technicians and other professionals across the creative value chain.

Providing the industry perspective, the Managing Director of MultiChoice Uganda, Mr. Hassan Saleh, said digital piracy extends beyond illegal television streaming to include software piracy, unauthorised distribution of copyrighted content and other forms of online infringement.

He warned that piracy is becoming increasingly normalised, with many consumers viewing illegal streaming services and modified devices as acceptable alternatives to legitimate subscription platforms.

Mr. Saleh stressed that every illegal stream deprives broadcasters, artists, producers, actors and technicians of their rightful earnings, weakening Uganda’s creative economy. He also highlighted previous engagements with the Uganda Revenue Authority over declining revenues in the pay television sector and the growing importation of devices associated with unauthorised access to premium broadcasting services.

He called for stronger collaboration among regulators, telecommunications operators, internet service providers, broadcasters, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to implement practical and enforceable anti-piracy measures.

The engagement also featured a technical presentation by Mr. Kiaren Bently of Canal+, an international broadcasting heavyweight, who introduced Dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) and Domain Name System (DNS) blocking as one of the technologies used internationally to combat online piracy.

He explained that the technology prevents access to illegal streaming websites rather than attempting to remove pirated content from the internet. Participants welcomed the presentation and emphasised the importance of balancing effective enforcement with transparency, accountability and the protection of legitimate internet services.

The engagement concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen co-operation, enhance enforcement, promote public awareness and adopt technology-driven solutions to combat digital piracy.