Game of Thrones livestreams: Twitter to suspend Periscope users that video live TV
Restrictions also apply to football games and concerts
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Twitter could suspend the accounts of those people that used Periscope to livestream the premiere of Game of Thrones or any other copyrighted content, it has said.
Dozens of livestreams were launched to allow people who didn’t have access to the channels that are showing the programme — Sky Atlantic in the UK — to see it. But those that did so could have their accounts terminated.
Most of the livestreams were low quality, and filmed using cameras pointed at TVs in people’s living rooms. But they represented the first way to watch the programme without the necessary subscriptions, before torrents and other illegally acquired copies of the film were uploaded online.
Companies that own video content are mostly treating Periscope as they would any other live feed, considering it a way of violating their copyright.
But copies of the first four episodes of the programme are already up online, after they were leaked ahead of the premiere.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments