Since around May 10 2026 thousands of Stremio and Kodi users have been seeing a new error message when trying to play cached content through Real-Debrid: “File was removed from debrid service due to copyright infringement.” If you are seeing this error your Real-Debrid account is not banned and the service is not down. This is a different problem — and understanding what is actually happening is the first step to dealing with it.

What Is Actually Happening

Real-Debrid’s parent company XT Network implemented a keyword-based filter around May 10 2026 that blocks cached torrents whose filenames match certain release tags. The affected keywords include common encoding and release group identifiers such as WEB-DL, WEBRip, AMZN, NF, CR, YTS, RARBG, and similar tags used in standard media releases.

The result is that entire categories of cached content — particularly recent streaming service releases and content from major release groups — now return the infringing file error rather than playing. Reports from the community suggest long-time subscribers have lost access to 50-70% of their previously working cached content overnight.

This is not a targeted removal of specific titles. It is a broad heuristic filter applied to filenames matching certain patterns. Files that have never been subject to an individual takedown request are being blocked because their filename contains a flagged keyword.

Why Real-Debrid Did This

XT Network stated publicly that the filtering is a compliance measure required under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and French law. The company says it received keyword lists from trusted flaggers under Article 16 of the DSA and implemented filters in response. XT Network also cited a Paris Court of Appeal ruling from March 2026 supporting its position that Article 8 of the DSA prohibits general monitoring obligations on technical intermediaries.

Separately, Reports indicate that XT Network underwent a corporate restructuring in April 2026 — changing its legal structure and moving its registered office — shortly before the filtering began. The company has stated publicly that the restructuring is unrelated to the content changes.

Whether the filtering is a genuine compliance response or a response to legal and financial pressure, the practical outcome for subscribers is the same — a significant reduction in what Real-Debrid’s cache can reliably deliver.

What the Error Messages Mean

“File was removed from debrid service due to copyright infringement” — the cached file’s filename matches a blocked keyword. Your account is not at risk. The file has not necessarily been subject to an individual takedown — it was blocked by the keyword filter.

“[AIOStreams] Unavailable for Legal Reasons. Try a different file.” — the same underlying cause, wrapped in a different error message by some addon configurations. Try the next stream source in the list.

In the Real-Debrid API these errors appear as error code 35 with the label infringing_file — a standardised classification rather than an ad-hoc action, suggesting the filtering is systematic rather than case-by-case.

What To Do Right Now

Short term — work around the filter

Try alternative stream sources for the same content. In Stremio scroll down the results list — sources that use different naming conventions or encode differently may not be blocked. Some content is still available through sources whose filenames do not contain the flagged keywords.

If you use Torrentio, try enabling additional indexers in the addon settings. Some indexers use different naming conventions that are less affected by the current keyword filter.

Medium term — supplement or switch debrid service

TorBox has been significantly less affected by the same filtering pressure. The service operates under different legal jurisdiction and has not implemented comparable keyword filtering. For subscribers whose Real-Debrid library has been severely reduced, running TorBox alongside Real-Debrid — or switching entirely — is the practical response.

TorBox Essential at $3/month is the most recommended starting point. The free tier is available to test before paying. See our TorBox Essential vs Pro guide for a full breakdown of plans.

Can Real-Debrid fix the errors?

XT Network has said users can report filtering mistakes if legitimate files are incorrectly blocked. Whether individual reports will result in specific files being unblocked is unclear. There is no public timeline for whether the filter scope will be reduced and no guarantee of any change. Planning around the current state of the service rather than hoping for a rollback is the more practical approach.

Is Real-Debrid Still Worth Using?

For subscribers whose content needs are primarily recent mainstream releases, the filtering has significantly reduced Real-Debrid’s practical value. The 50-70% library reduction reported by long-term subscribers is substantial.

For subscribers whose usage skews toward older content, foreign language films, or content from sources with different naming conventions, Real-Debrid may still be viable — the filter is keyword-based and does not affect all content equally.

AllDebrid and Premiumize are alternative debrid services worth considering alongside TorBox if you want to diversify away from Real-Debrid’s current situation. See our debrid service guide for a full overview of the options.

If you use IPTV primarily for live TV channels rather than on-demand content through Stremio or Kodi, the Real-Debrid situation does not affect your setup — IPTV subscriptions deliver live channels independently of debrid services. See our free trials page for reviewed providers offering a no-card trial.

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Last updated June 2026. Real-Debrid filtering situation as of May-June 2026.