Considering that piracy harms economic development and impoverishes societies, it is incumbent upon providers and operators to come together to address this problem.

ACE is the leading global coalition for the preservation of legal systems that protect the creative content production ecosystem. Tigo is the first telecommunications company in Latin America to join the anti-piracy coalition and is ACE's 40th global member.

This partnership promotes the anti-piracy group's presence and strength in Latin America.

"We are excited about the opportunities that our membership with ACE will bring in our fight against piracy. Working together between companies, authorities and justice systems is critical to tackling this ongoing problem in the region&quot", noted Karim Lesina, executive vice president and director of External Affairs at Millicom (Tigo).

"Piracy erodes jobs, is a major source of tax evasion and represents a serious security risk for its users. At Millicom, we are committed to fighting this illegal practice".

By adding Tigo to its growing membership, ACE can continue to expand its reach and impact in the key Latin American markets where the company operates. Millicom is the market leader in mobile telephony, broadband and pay TV distribution in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay.

"We are delighted to welcome Tigo to ACE's global network of media and entertainment companies that are working tirelessly to defeat the existential threat that piracy poses to this industry, consumers and the economy", said Charles Rivkin, President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.

"With Tigo's support, ACE will continue to build valuable new relationships with local law enforcement authorities as well as other key partners in our campaign to shut down piracy operations around the world and protect content creators".

Globally, piracy of digitally streamed content accounts for 80% of all piracy today. According to the Global Innovation Policy Center, piracy accounts for as much as $71 billion in lost revenue annually in the United States alone. Its consequences jeopardize innovation, creativity and investment and threaten creators, innovators, industry professionals and consumers.

Television piracy in Latin America has an estimated commercial value of $4.8 billion, according to a recent report commissioned by Millicom and written by Raul Katz, an international academic expert in the telecommunications industry.

ACE is supported by a network of experts operating in high-tech investigations and law enforcement, in partnership with local governments and law enforcement agencies around the world, as well as international organizations such as Interpol and Europol, to tackle the entire supply chain of pirated content.

ACE's anti-piracy campaign has made recent progress in Latin America. Earlier this month, the coalition announced the shutdown of the Argentina-based piracy operation Pelismart / Pelispop, comprised of seven domains. After completing its investigation, ACE discovered that all seven domains, including new ones on track to reach extraordinary peaks in traffic, belonged to the same operator. The four largest domains had a combined monthly traffic in excess of 27 million visits.