The Golden Age of Music Piracy: When Taping Albums Was the Norm

In the pre-digital era, music piracy was a widespread practice that didn't raise many eyebrows. In fact, I recall my friends and I would eagerly wait for our favorite bands to release new albums, only to record them on cassette tapes using our trusty Panasonic music center. It was a norm, an accepted way of sharing music with others.

The music centre was the first mass-produced legal downloader, and millions of people created vast vaults of tapes featuring their favorite bands. I remember recording the entire Hawkwind back catalogue on just two C120s, leaving enough space to add some X-ray Spex tracks for good measure (1979 was a confusing year musically, after all).

Fast forward to today, and music piracy is no longer as innocent or widespread. With the rise of digital streaming services, it's become increasingly difficult to find people willing to share their music collections on physical formats like cassette tapes.

But in other areas of online activity, piracy continues to be a major concern. In recent times, Australians have been plagued by scam texts and messages that aim to steal their personal information or trick them into handing over cash. Optus has reported blocking 137 million scam messages since December 2020, and it's clear that telecommunications companies like Telstra have a significant role to play in combating this issue.

According to Darren Pauli, Telstra's cyber security expert, there is a moral obligation on the part of these companies to protect their customers from falling victim to scammers. He notes that it's not just a matter of complying with regulations, but also a question of doing what's right by their users.

Telstra has taken steps to address this issue, including providing a reporting number (7226) for customers who receive suspicious texts or messages. Customers can forward these suspect messages to the company, which can then use the information to learn more about the tactics used by scammers and improve its anti-scam measures.

In fact, Telstra has already received 250,000 reports of scam texts from customers, which is a testament to the effectiveness of this system. As Pauli notes, it's crucial for customers to report these messages as soon as they receive them, as this can have a significant impact on the efforts to combat scams.

While there is still much work to be done in this area, it's clear that telecommunications companies like Telstra are taking the issue of piracy and scamming seriously. By working together with their customers and law enforcement agencies, they can help create a safer online environment for everyone.

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