The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global anti-piracy coalition backed by major film and media companies, has shut down an illicit anime streaming application known as AnimePlay, according to an official announcement.
The application, which operated primarily in Indonesia, had accumulated more than 5 million registered users since its launch in 2020. Investigators said the service hosted over 60 terabytes of copyrighted content distributed without authorization.
ACE stated that the operator of the platform admitted to running the service as its sole developer and administrator. As part of the enforcement action, the individual surrendered control of the app’s full backend infrastructure. This included 29 GitHub repositories containing source code, as well as servers, databases, and integrated advertising systems used to support the operation.
Authorities also took control of 15 associated domains linked to the service. According to ACE, the infrastructure has been taken offline, limiting the ability to restore or relaunch the platform.
ACE said the case represents what it described as the first successful enforcement action in Indonesia specifically targeting an APK-based piracy application. The coalition stated that the operation dismantled a coordinated network that distributed pirated anime content across the region.
The organisation, which includes more than 50 entertainment companies such as major film studios and streaming services, focuses on identifying and disrupting digital piracy networks through legal and technical measures.
In a statement, ACE said that gaining control of both the application and its underlying infrastructure was necessary to prevent further distribution of pirated material. The group added that similar enforcement actions are ongoing in multiple regions.
The shutdown follows a series of operations targeting large-scale piracy platforms in the Asia Pacific region. Authorities said such services often rely on distributed hosting, advertising systems, and open source repositories to maintain operations and attract users.
The investigation and enforcement action were conducted through coordination between ACE and regional partners. Officials indicated that the approach combined technical analysis of infrastructure with direct engagement with the operator to secure control of the service and its assets.