The Piracy Problem Streaming Platforms Can’t Solve

Tharwa Boulifi Culture Mar 1, 2026 5:00 AM The Piracy Problem Streaming Platforms Can’t Solve In parts of the Middle East and North Africa, a patchwork of sanctions, payment failures, and licensing gaps pushes people into piracy networks. Photograph: Getty Images Save this story Save this story For most of the world, streaming services promise smooth access: click, pay and watch. In parts of the Middle East and North Africa, however, the reality is far more complicated. While global platforms such as Netflix and Spotify have expanded their reach, access across the region remains uneven. In countries such as Syria and Lebanon , sanctions, financial crises and fragile banking systems make even basic digital payments difficult. For many young people in these regions, piracy, VPNs , Telegram channels, and shared drives are not seen as fringe systems operating outside the law, but as the default way of accessing culture. In the Middle East, piracy is illegal in countries with established intellectual property and copyright laws, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar. In the UAE, it is also illegal to use a VPN to commit a crime, such as the unauthorized downloading or reproduction of copyrighted material. “I don’t consider it piracy,” says Mira, a student in Beirut who like others quoted in this story was granted anonymity to speak freely about their streaming habits. “My banking card doesn’t work online, and even if it did, more than half of the movies aren’t available here.” Since Lebanon’s financial crisis began in 2019, access to international payments has become increasingly difficult. Banks imposed strict controls on foreign currency transactions , leaving many debit and credit cards unable to process payments for dollar-denominated services such as streaming subscriptions. In neighboring Syria, the barriers are even more fundamental. Many international platforms do not operate there because of US sanctions imposed on the Assad regime during the...