A recent study conducted by the British University of Portsmouth has revealed that warning messages aimed at intimidating internet users to deter them from digital piracy can have the opposite effect, especially among male audiences.
Digital piracy involves accessing paid content for free, such as books, films, series, games, and software. While it allows internet users to save significantly on digital goods, it also violates copyright laws and causes substantial damage to the creative economy, bypassing the industry of billions of dollars annually.
The study assessed the effectiveness of anti-piracy messages as a deterrent. It analyzed changes in piracy intent among 962 adult participants compared to their prior behavior.
Kate Whitman, the lead author of the study from the Center for Cybercrowsing and Economic Crime at the University of Portsmouth, highlighted that men and women react differently to piracy messages, indicating the need for varied approaches in combating the issue.
The study examined three real anti-piracy campaigns, two featuring threatening messages and one with educational content. The threatening messages emphasized legal consequences, the risk of persecution, and the danger of computer virus infection, while the educational approach aimed to inform about the moral and economic repercussions of piracy.
The results demonstrated that threatening messages reduced piracy intentions in women by over 50%, but surprisingly, increased pirate activity in men by 18%. Researchers attributed this to men’s stronger psychological response to infringements on their freedom, leading to contrasting outcomes.
In contrast, educational messages without intimidation did not impact men or women significantly. Appeals to conscience did not prove effective in this context.
The study authors emphasize the significant gender discrepancies in approaches to combat piracy, suggesting that individualized strategies are necessary for successful anti-piracy campaigns without exacerbating the situation.