The Golden Age of Piracy vs. Online Bootlegging

Compared to the Golden Age of Piracy, online bootlegging has become relatively tame. Modern pirates don't have to fear the gallows, and if they have scurvy, it's probably unrelated to illegal TV series on their hard drive. However, there are places in the world where the internet is heavily restricted, and uncensored access to the digital world is only possible through hidden smuggling networks. These networks, risking imprisonment or worse, bring their clients the latest memes and Hollywood blockbusters on discs and USB drives, effectively creating an underground offline internet.

Uncensored digital access in restricted regions

The uneven adoption of the internet globally is partly responsible for this situation. In the year 2000, only 5.8 percent of the world population was connected to the World Wide Web, including 43 percent of the US population. Two decades later, in 2020, only 60 percent of the world was online, compared to 91 percent in the United States. However, this is not because people in these areas do not want the internet. These gaps on the map are usually due to poverty, remote locations, corruption, and deliberate suppression of information by local authorities.

Digital Smuggling Networks: Creating an Underground Offline Internet

Thanks to the development of compact, durable, and portable storage devices such as USB sticks, digital media can be taken anywhere people can go. Although details are scarce due to the danger involved, many North Korean refugees report having watched illegal Western material before leaving the country, such as movies like James Bond, Titanic, or Pretty Woman. The penalties for possessing Russian or Bollywood films can result in three years of forced labour, but possessing contraband from America or South Korea can lead to much longer prison sentences or even execution. However, these strict rules do not deter people from accessing the content they desire.

The emerging phenomenon of offline internet in Cuba

One of the best-documented digital smuggling networks is the “paquete semanal” in Cuba. Cuba only got its first internet connection in September 1996, but efforts to connect the population remained stagnant for years. The weak economic situation, the consequences of the Soviet Union's collapse, and the American embargo made it difficult to obtain the necessary infrastructure and hardware. In 2012, only 21 percent of Cubans used the internet, while that percentage was 43 percent for the Dominican Republic in the same year.

With the legalization of the purchase of personal computers without a permit in 2008, the market for international media flourished. Satellite receivers became more easily obtainable and were sometimes hidden in fake water tanks on rooftops. Digital storage became cheap, durable, and compact, making the distribution of uncensored media from the United States and other countries simple through the exchange of USB sticks. Since then, the “paquete semanal” has been circulated weekly in Cuba, featuring a constantly updated selection of movies, music, software, news, internet videos, and even advertisements for local businesses. However, politics and pornography are notable exceptions due to the risks associated with them.

The emerging phenomenon of offline internet in Cuba

The Havana Street Network, also known as s-net, is an example of a local network in Cuba created by technically skilled Cubans. They laid cables from roof to roof and used routers and computers as nodes in a mesh network without a central server. On this network, which had no direct connection to the outside world, forums, blogs, social media, video streaming, restaurant reviews, and locally hosted copies of external sites such as Wikipedia were available. Some even used it to play hacked versions of online games. Although s-net enforced strict rules to prevent government interference, the network was eventually integrated into the state-controlled system.

The future of internet access in Cuba and elsewhere

Although the Cuban government has officially expanded access to the internet as part of its development strategy, the emergence of legal internet access has reduced the role of digital smuggling networks. As of 2021, 71 percent of Cubans had some form of internet access, and access is becoming cheaper and easier. Ultimately, this will become the standard way to obtain foreign films and music, rather than purchasing illegal copies on street corners.

Conclusion

While online bootlegging generally appears tame compared to the Golden Age of piracy, there are places worldwide where internet access is heavily restricted, and people turn to hidden networks to gain uncensored access to digital content. This is often due to poverty, remote locations, corruption, and deliberate suppression of information by local authorities. The use of portable storage devices such as flash drives enables carrying digital media anywhere. The “paquete semanal” in Cuba and the Havana Street Network are examples of such smuggling networks. Although internet access is slowly improving in these areas, the underground offline internet world is likely to persist as long as there are areas with limited internet access.