The LRTK found that the content of filmai.in is accessible via infrastructure located in Russia
The Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTK), after conducting monitoring, has determined that the content of the website filmai.in and its related subdomains is accessible via the IP address range 31.135.14.0/23, which is hosted by JSC IOT, a company established in the Russian Federation. This enables the distribution of audiovisual programmes whose distribution is prohibited in the Republic of Lithuania.
The LRTK notes that the provision of audiovisual services via technical infrastructure operating in the Russian Federation poses not only legal but also significant security risks to consumers.
The Russian Federation has been recognised by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the European Parliament as a state that supports terrorism, and audiovisual services provided from its territory may be used as a means of hybrid influence.
In such situations, consumers’ personal data, payment information, technical device data, or internet usage data may fall under the jurisdiction of a third country where European Union data protection and cybersecurity standards do not apply.
“The LRTK has determined that the website filmai.in operates from Russia, which poses additional serious risks to consumers, particularly regarding the security of personal and payment data. When using such services, users often fail to appreciate that their online activity, login details, or payment information may become accessible to entities operating under the jurisdiction of a hostile state,” says LRTK Chairman Mantas Martišius.
Taking these circumstances into account, the Commission has ordered public electronic communications service providers to block access to the IP address range through which prohibited audiovisual programmes are distributed within two working days of the decision entering into force.
The LRTK will continue to monitor the online environment and take measures to protect Lithuanian consumers from the distribution of illegal content and from technological and information threats related to hostile states.