Technology played a two-sided role. Content recognition and fingerprinting systems helped platforms and rights holders discover pirated copies faster. Automated takedown systems and collaborative notice-and-takedown workflows improved response times. Conversely, piracy operators adopted obfuscation techniques: encrypted file hosting, transient links, decentralized sharing, and leveraging content delivery networks (CDNs) to mask origin. The cat-and-mouse dynamic persisted through 2022, with incremental victories on both sides but no definitive end.