How can I implement content protection measures similar to those used by Netflix and Prime Video for videos uploaded?

[AgustinDeluca]

I'd like to implement a robust content protection system to prevent unauthorized screen recording and screenshots, similar to what Netflix and Prime Video offer.

[Jeff_F · Accepted solution]

Hello @AgustinDeluca - This is an interesting, albeit unexpected question for this community. I looked into your questions and below present a few ideas which I generated via a prompt for ChatGPT. Enjoy!

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Implementing robust content protection for videos, similar to Netflix and Prime Video, requires a multi-layered approach that combines encryption, digital rights management (DRM), and various security measures to protect content from unauthorized access, screen recording, or screenshots. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a system that offers similar protection:

1. Encryption and DRM (Digital Rights Management)

DRM systems ensure that only authorized users can access the content and control how the content is viewed or copied. Common DRM systems include:

• Widevine (Google): A widely used DRM for web browsers and mobile devices.
• PlayReady (Microsoft): Often used for Windows and Xbox.
• FairPlay (Apple): Used for iOS and macOS devices.

To implement DRM, you will need to:

• Use a secure streaming protocol: Adopt protocols like HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) or DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP), both of which support DRM encryption.
• Encrypt video files: Before streaming content, encrypt video files. The keys required to decrypt the video content will only be provided to authorized devices.
• Integrate a DRM provider: You can use third-party DRM providers (e.g., Axinom, BuyDRM, or Verimatrix) or directly integrate with providers like Widevine, PlayReady, or FairPlay.

This ensures that the content is encrypted in transit and can only be decoded by authorized clients that have the proper keys.

2. Secure Video Playback

Ensuring that the video is rendered in a secure environment is key to preventing unauthorized recording and screenshots.

• Secure Players: Use a secure video player that respects DRM restrictions. For web applications, this would be an HTML5 player with DRM support (using Widevine, PlayReady, etc.). For mobile devices, integrate with the device's native DRM SDK (Widevine for Android, FairPlay for iOS).
• Hardware-based Protection: For mobile apps or desktop clients, use secure hardware environments like Intel SGX or Secure Enclaves to ensure content is decrypted only in trusted environments.
• Enforce Full-Screen Playback: Disable features like picture-in-picture, background playback, or multi-window mode that may make it easier to capture content.

3. Preventing Screen Recording and Screenshots

This is one of the more challenging aspects of content protection. To prevent unauthorized screenshots or screen recording, consider:

• Disable Screenshot and Screen Recording: You can use certain OS-level features to block screen capture during video playback. For example:

  • On Android, apps can use the FLAG_SECURE flag to prevent screenshots or screen recordings.
  • On iOS, use the isScreenCaptured property to detect if the screen is being recorded and take appropriate action.
  • On Windows and macOS, you can use similar restrictions in native desktop applications to prevent screen recording software from capturing content.

• Watermarking:

  • Visible Watermarking: Add a watermark with user-specific information (like account details or session ID) to discourage piracy. This can also help in tracing leaks.
  • Invisible Watermarking: Use techniques such as fingerprinting or digital watermarking to embed information into the video that is not visible but can be used to track and trace content leakage.

• Browser Detection and Restriction: For web-based streaming, many modern browsers (such as Chrome and Firefox) offer limited screen capture prevention features, but they are not foolproof. You may need to combine browser restrictions with other measures (like JavaScript or plugin-based solutions) that detect screen recording software.

• Detecting Virtual Machines and Emulators: Some malicious users might try to bypass content protection by running it on a virtual machine or emulator. Use device fingerprinting techniques to detect these environments and block content in such scenarios.

4. User Authentication and Access Control

Strong user authentication is crucial in any content protection system to ensure only authorized users can access your videos.

• OAuth/OpenID Connect: Implement strong authentication mechanisms such as OAuth or OpenID Connect for logging in to your platform.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): To further secure user accounts, integrate multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Device Authorization: Restrict playback to specific devices per account. If possible, limit the number of devices that can stream content at once.

5. Anti-Piracy and Monitoring

You can integrate content monitoring and anti-piracy measures to detect and block illegal sharing of your content.

• Content Monitoring Services: Use services like MarkMonitor, Irdeto, or Vudu's Blu-ray Protection to monitor and protect against piracy. These services scan the web for unauthorized copies of your videos and allow you to issue takedown notices.
• Automated Monitoring of Shared Links: Set up automated systems to detect and block illegal distribution of content by tracking shared links or torrent activity.

6. Geo-Blocking and Region Restrictions

Restrict access to content based on the user's geographic location using IP geolocation to ensure that only users from certain regions can access specific content.

7. Usage and Expiration Policies

• License Expiry: Implement video expiration or access revocation mechanisms where users can only view content for a certain period, after which access expires.
• Offline Viewing Protection: For apps that allow offline viewing, encrypt the content stored locally on the device, and implement strict controls that ensure the content cannot be copied or shared.

8. Continuous Updates and Patching

Content protection methods evolve over time, so it’s important to continuously update your DRM systems, encryption protocols, and security measures to stay ahead of emerging threats. Regularly monitor for new vulnerabilities in your system and patch them promptly.

9. Education and Legal Action

Finally, while technology can provide strong protection, educating your users about piracy risks and the consequences of violating your terms of service (including potential legal action) can act as a deterrent.

Conclusion:

To implement a content protection system similar to Netflix or Prime Video, you’ll need to combine multiple technologies—encryption, DRM, secure playback, anti-piracy monitoring, and device-level protections. These measures ensure that your content is secure during transmission and playback, while also preventing unauthorized copying or distribution.

[Jeff_F · Accepted solution]

Hello @AgustinDeluca - This is an interesting, albeit unexpected question for this community. I looked into your questions and below present a few ideas which I generated via a prompt for ChatGPT. Enjoy!

------------- 

Implementing robust content protection for videos, similar to Netflix and Prime Video, requires a multi-layered approach that combines encryption, digital rights management (DRM), and various security measures to protect content from unauthorized access, screen recording, or screenshots. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a system that offers similar protection:

1. Encryption and DRM (Digital Rights Management)

DRM systems ensure that only authorized users can access the content and control how the content is viewed or copied. Common DRM systems include:

• Widevine (Google): A widely used DRM for web browsers and mobile devices.
• PlayReady (Microsoft): Often used for Windows and Xbox.
• FairPlay (Apple): Used for iOS and macOS devices.

To implement DRM, you will need to:

• Use a secure streaming protocol: Adopt protocols like HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) or DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP), both of which support DRM encryption.
• Encrypt video files: Before streaming content, encrypt video files. The keys required to decrypt the video content will only be provided to authorized devices.
• Integrate a DRM provider: You can use third-party DRM providers (e.g., Axinom, BuyDRM, or Verimatrix) or directly integrate with providers like Widevine, PlayReady, or FairPlay.

This ensures that the content is encrypted in transit and can only be decoded by authorized clients that have the proper keys.

2. Secure Video Playback

Ensuring that the video is rendered in a secure environment is key to preventing unauthorized recording and screenshots.

• Secure Players: Use a secure video player that respects DRM restrictions. For web applications, this would be an HTML5 player with DRM support (using Widevine, PlayReady, etc.). For mobile devices, integrate with the device's native DRM SDK (Widevine for Android, FairPlay for iOS).
• Hardware-based Protection: For mobile apps or desktop clients, use secure hardware environments like Intel SGX or Secure Enclaves to ensure content is decrypted only in trusted environments.
• Enforce Full-Screen Playback: Disable features like picture-in-picture, background playback, or multi-window mode that may make it easier to capture content.

3. Preventing Screen Recording and Screenshots

This is one of the more challenging aspects of content protection. To prevent unauthorized screenshots or screen recording, consider:

• Disable Screenshot and Screen Recording: You can use certain OS-level features to block screen capture during video playback. For example:

  • On Android, apps can use the FLAG_SECURE flag to prevent screenshots or screen recordings.
  • On iOS, use the isScreenCaptured property to detect if the screen is being recorded and take appropriate action.
  • On Windows and macOS, you can use similar restrictions in native desktop applications to prevent screen recording software from capturing content.

• Watermarking:

  • Visible Watermarking: Add a watermark with user-specific information (like account details or session ID) to discourage piracy. This can also help in tracing leaks.
  • Invisible Watermarking: Use techniques such as fingerprinting or digital watermarking to embed information into the video that is not visible but can be used to track and trace content leakage.

• Browser Detection and Restriction: For web-based streaming, many modern browsers (such as Chrome and Firefox) offer limited screen capture prevention features, but they are not foolproof. You may need to combine browser restrictions with other measures (like JavaScript or plugin-based solutions) that detect screen recording software.

• Detecting Virtual Machines and Emulators: Some malicious users might try to bypass content protection by running it on a virtual machine or emulator. Use device fingerprinting techniques to detect these environments and block content in such scenarios.

4. User Authentication and Access Control

Strong user authentication is crucial in any content protection system to ensure only authorized users can access your videos.

• OAuth/OpenID Connect: Implement strong authentication mechanisms such as OAuth or OpenID Connect for logging in to your platform.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): To further secure user accounts, integrate multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Device Authorization: Restrict playback to specific devices per account. If possible, limit the number of devices that can stream content at once.

5. Anti-Piracy and Monitoring

You can integrate content monitoring and anti-piracy measures to detect and block illegal sharing of your content.

• Content Monitoring Services: Use services like MarkMonitor, Irdeto, or Vudu's Blu-ray Protection to monitor and protect against piracy. These services scan the web for unauthorized copies of your videos and allow you to issue takedown notices.
• Automated Monitoring of Shared Links: Set up automated systems to detect and block illegal distribution of content by tracking shared links or torrent activity.

6. Geo-Blocking and Region Restrictions

Restrict access to content based on the user's geographic location using IP geolocation to ensure that only users from certain regions can access specific content.

7. Usage and Expiration Policies

• License Expiry: Implement video expiration or access revocation mechanisms where users can only view content for a certain period, after which access expires.
• Offline Viewing Protection: For apps that allow offline viewing, encrypt the content stored locally on the device, and implement strict controls that ensure the content cannot be copied or shared.

8. Continuous Updates and Patching

Content protection methods evolve over time, so it’s important to continuously update your DRM systems, encryption protocols, and security measures to stay ahead of emerging threats. Regularly monitor for new vulnerabilities in your system and patch them promptly.

9. Education and Legal Action

Finally, while technology can provide strong protection, educating your users about piracy risks and the consequences of violating your terms of service (including potential legal action) can act as a deterrent.

Conclusion:

To implement a content protection system similar to Netflix or Prime Video, you’ll need to combine multiple technologies—encryption, DRM, secure playback, anti-piracy monitoring, and device-level protections. These measures ensure that your content is secure during transmission and playback, while also preventing unauthorized copying or distribution.

[chriscas · Accepted solution]

HI @AgustinDeluca,

With the info that @Jeff_F got from ChatGPT in mind, I think this is going to be extremely difficult to do in Canvas.  There are third party video tools that plug into Canvas (Canvas Studio, Panopto, Kaltura, MediaSite, etc) but I don't even think any of them do to this level of restriction.  You'd need to make sure whatever solution you tried to employ worked on all major platforms (windows, mac, maybe even linux, and mobile device) as well as with the Canvas student and teacher apps, and you'd need to either develop it as an external tool or run the Canvas open-source version and heavily modify their code.

My personal opinion is that a project like this would take hundreds, of programming hours.  You'd need to assess whether the benefits are worth it, and also be mindful that for almost every technology that's been developed like this, those who want to circumvent the rights management have come up with a way to do so.

I hope this info helps a bit!

-Chris