Vietnamese authorities have arrested and are prosecuting seven suspects believed to have operated HiAnime, the world’s largest anime piracy streaming service, which was shut down in June after drawing hundreds of millions of monthly visitors and briefly surpassing legitimate platforms such as Disney+ and Crunchyroll in web traffic.
HiAnime provided free access to an extensive library of English-subtitled and dubbed anime without requiring a subscription, amassing between 364 million and over 400 million visits per month during its peak. The platform was originally launched under the Zoro.to domain, rebranded to Aniwatch.to in July 2023, and then to HiAnime.to in March 2024, where it operated until its takedown.
Charges Include Copyright Infringement and Money Laundering
The seven defendants face charges of infringing copyright and related rights, as well as money laundering. Four suspects have been detained, and three are under house arrest. Authorities accused the group of operating more than 100 websites used to upload over 26,000 pirated anime films, generating approximately $12.85 million in illegal advertising revenue between 2020 and April 2026.
The operation was so large that HiAnime was placed on the European Commission’s Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List and the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Notorious Markets list, underscoring its status as a global piracy threat.
ACE Confirms Law Enforcement Action
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a coalition of more than 50 media and entertainment companies that includes the world’s largest film studios and television networks, confirmed the enforcement action on Thursday. ACE specifically credited Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security — in particular, the Economic Crimes Investigation Department (C03) and the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05) — for carrying out the arrests and prosecutions.
ACE also thanked Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Justice for their support throughout a multi-year investigation that led to the suspects being apprehended. The coalition stated it expects to continue working closely with Vietnamese authorities on future actions against piracy services.
Growing Pressure on Piracy Operations
The takedown of HiAnime follows a broader crackdown on illegal streaming platforms. Earlier in March, ACE also announced the shutdown of AnimePlay, another major anime streaming platform that hosted more than 60 terabytes of content and registered over 5 million users. That operation took all infrastructure offline, including hosting servers and web domains.
The HiAnime case illustrates the increasing collaboration between international law enforcement agencies and anti-piracy coalitions to dismantle large-scale digital piracy networks, particularly those that generate substantial revenue from illicit advertising. For the anime industry specifically, the loss of a platform that outperformed legal streaming services in direct traffic marks a significant victory for intellectual property enforcement.
What Affected Users Should Know
While the arrests and shutdown of HiAnime represent a significant enforcement action, users who accessed the service should be aware that such illegal streaming platforms often expose visitors to security risks, including malvertising, credential harvesting, and drive-by downloads. Any device used to access unauthorized streaming sites may have been exposed to tracking scripts or malicious payloads.
Users who relied on HiAnime should switch to legitimate, subscription-based streaming services that offer licensed anime content. For anyone concerned about their privacy while streaming, using a reputable no-log VPN service with AES-256 encryption and a kill switch can help prevent third-party monitoring. Additionally, enabling multi-factor authentication on all accounts and running a full system scan with a multi-layer endpoint protection solution are sensible precautions.
The broader takeaway for consumers is that free streaming services often monetize traffic through aggressive and sometimes dangerous advertising practices. Choosing authorized platforms not only supports content creators but also reduces exposure to the cybersecurity risks that accompany unregulated piracy sites.
