In 2024, an 18-year-old Miracle visited Eunice, a secondary school friend, at her house. She met her while watching the “Heartbreak High” series and joined her. It was very interesting, but it was getting late, and she could no longer stay at her house. She requested the movie, but Eunice told her she could download it via the Moviebox app on the Google Play Store. She downloaded it and watched other movies like Fast and Furious, Luka, and Coco.

This is a snippet of the story of how many Nigerians learn about piracy sites and how they continue to thrive in Nigeria through word-of-mouth testimonies.

The Moviebox ban

Moviebox.ng, a popular free streaming platform, was banned by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in July 2025 due to piracy. As of the time of publication, the website is accessible with a .ph domain, although the app is not available on app stores.

The site boasts of 999+ movie titles across various genres and countries. “As a filmmaker, I know how much this hurts. We spend millions to produce movies. We promote them to earn revenue, but pirates steal them and upload them to their sites. They run ads and make money. While we struggle.” Benneth Nwankwo, a filmmaker, on his Facebook page

The NCC stated that it “secured the suspension” and “successfully shut down” the website with the assistance of NiRA, the registry for Nigerian domain names.

However, the decision did not take root, as their users barely noticed. Miracle added that she once deleted the app due to low phone storage, and when she wanted to redownload it, she couldn’t find it on the Google Play Store, but a different person told her she could find it on their new website.

In the same vein, it banned other piracy sites, such as val9ja and tunesloaded.com, which are still operational today. The NCC acknowledged that the operators used multiple mirror domains to evade detection and was working to disable them. “We need a live monitoring system. Every new domain named MovieBox should be flagged within 24 hours. Every mirror site should be blocked as soon as it appears. That is how to fight piracy.” Benneth added.

Despite several warnings to avoid the platform, not just for legal reasons but because it poses risks of malware, identity theft, and financial scams, Nigerians are publicly acknowledging using the site, and no Nigerian has been prosecuted for using the app.

Why Moviebox is illegal and why it still works

The existence of Moviebox violates the tenets of the Copyright Act of 2022. The NCC’s Director-General, Dr. John Asein, has issued several specific directives to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to take down mirror sites. Still, enforcement has historically been less “automated” than in countries like the UK or India.

If an ISP fails to act after receiving a formal notice to take down or block access, it can lose its protection and become financially or criminally liable for the infringement.

In 2025, the Nigerian House of Representatives empowered NCC to sanction any ISP that fails to comply. It currently monitors the process through a special unit called Stand Together Against Online Piracy (STOP) and the NCC Compliance Monitoring Department. It can issue Pre-Enforcement Notices or fines for non-compliance with regulatory orders.

It is important to note that it cannot shut down offshore servers; such action requires higher authority, such as cooperation with INTERPOL and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). However, they can target the financial proceeds of piracy stored in offshore bank accounts, even if they can’t touch the server itself.

When Moviebox.ng was suspended, it moved to a clone or fallback domain, Moviebox.ph, and redirected its users there.

Industry experts from BusinessDay note that as long as data costs are high and official streaming subscriptions remain expensive, mirror sites will likely continue to find an audience. Even with subscription fees as low as 2000, many Gen Zers who are unemployed or earn less than the minimum wage of 77,000 would prefer a free streaming service.

Emmanuel Analike, the CEO of the popular NetNaija media site, was arrested and remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center in early March 2026 by the NCC to show that the law has teeth.

However, this is another case of technology outpacing regulation. The NCC can suspend a .ng domain in minutes, but it has no jurisdiction over a .to or .ru domain. This shows that a ban is a negative solution. It removes an option but doesn’t solve the underlying problem. A strategy should involve digital diplomacy, economic incentives, and literacy programs.