Behind the Clicks: Analyzing Advertising Networks on DMCA-Violating Websites

• In Event: Criminal Infrastructures Online: Forums, Ads, and Black Market Dynamics

Abstract

As legitimate and illegal websites generate revenue through advertisements, ads are a key component of the online environment. This study applies to a network perspective to examine environments on digital piracy websites that violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). By systematically documenting and analyzing the types, sources, and characteristics of advertisements displayed on digital piracy websites, this research explores how advertising networks support illicit activity. Data will be collected from piracy websites using the Lumen database as a source of DMCA-violating platforms. This study will document ad types, sources, and characteristics while assessing situational factors like website structure and meta data, as well as networked relationships between piracy platforms and ad providers. Through descriptive statistical analysis, patterns in ad network structures were identified, along with potential links to other illegal activities. Findings provide insight into how advertising networks and situational factors shape and sustain digital piracy ecosystems.

Author

• Nayoung Ko, Washington State University