Parents should be aware of the dangers that your kid may be exposed to when using illegal movie websites. These illegal movie sites frequently cause infringement of copyright which can go unnoticed.
Knowing these sites and the potential threats your kid may encounter keeps you at peace. You can block the site on their phones, so they cannot access them.
In this article, we go through several illegal movie websites, exposing their effects, and also giving parents more tips on how they can keep their children away from them.
What are illegal movie websites?
Illegal movie websites are online platforms granting unauthorized access to copyrighted content without the permission of copyright owners or permitted users.
These websites provide their audience with free access to movies. In most cases sooner than a day or two after their first day at the cinema or official distribution.
These sites illegally get the content for the movies through methods like recording screenings, obtaining pre-release movies, or through the bypassing of Digital Rights Management (DRM) of the online content. They are then uploaded to the servers which feature the sites. Users get a chance to watch them or download them via the links provided by them.
To stay online, methods of income generation like intrusive ads, subscription fees, or malware propagation can be implemented.
The truth is that the internet has a feature that hides the user’s identity. So, the use of virtual private networks makes it extremely difficult for the authorities to close the illegal sites down.
Dangers of illegal movie websites for kids
Although ripping pirated movies is quite attractive to many, especially youngsters and tech-savvy people, we must not overlook the hidden dangers of illegal movie websites.
Beyond the entertaining function of free access, these platforms certainly go far beyond violating copyright into a huge threat of unimaginable scope.
- Exposure to inappropriate content: A number of these illegal streaming sites have no content moderation that is available on legal websites. They also have no age restrictions. Kids may open the films with adult content, such as violence and scenes that are too explicit for their age and well-being.
- Malware and cyber threats: Probably one of the most malware-infested places on the internet is illegal movie websites. Among those who are school-age, young children will be the most likely to click on manipulative ads and the infecting files, as a result, their devices and personal data will be in danger.
- Supporting criminal activities: By watching movies on illegitimate websites, children accidentally contribute to the exploitation of criminal syndicates that engage in piracy and various other unlawful activities. Such a cycle of exploitation sets a negative image of the entertainment business and violates the legal rights of filmmakers and creators.
- Disrespect for Creatives: Therefore, downloading movies from pirated websites eliminates the hard work and dedication of those who brought the films onto the screen. Unknown to them, alternatives of the legal methods put the livelihoods of directors, actors, and others whose effort and devotion are the assets of the movie industries in jeopardy.
10 illegal streaming websites parents should watch out
The internet is a huge territory, with some platforms gaining infamy due to offering free movies to internet users despite unnecessary risks, even to children.
Though the mask of convenience and free of charge might seem tempting, there are actually many illegal traps out there, and the safety of users and the integrity of content are both at stake.
Parents are responsible for monitoring and awareness of these platforms to generate a safe online environment for their children.
123movies
123movies is among the most famous unlawful movie streaming websites for its enormous library of movies and TV shows, available for downloading and streaming with zero cost.
Despite repeated attempts to completely take it down, the site keeps coming up under different names and this makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to eradicate it.
Putlocker
Putlocker is also one of the best-known movie streaming sites where films can be accessed for free. It possesses a user-friendly interface and an enormous library of movies and series, which makes it extremely popular among users.
Fmovies
Fmovies is another place with a user-friendly interface and extensive content, parents should be mindful about. The site services a variety of TV shows and movies. It operates in the shady area of legality as it offers pirated content without the necessary licenses.
Vumoo
Sometimes called “the pirate bay of movies”, Vumoo is a notorious illegal movie streaming website with a huge movie and TV show library, where an intuitive interface and various available content attract users.
Even though it is appealing and tempting, Vumoo poses a legal challenge since it offers pirated material without the consent of copyright holders.
YesMovies
YesMovies is the other important player in the illegal movie streaming website world, luring people with its large selection of free movies and TV shows. It may seem to be a convenient way of accessing entertainment, but YesMovies brings a lot of risks to young viewers.
The Pirate Bay
The Pirate Bay is known as one of the most notorious torrent websites, providing various digital content from movies to p2p file sharing.
The site is most frequently the subject of legal action due to its violation of copyright laws. It allows users to have access to the movies without compensating their creators.
uTorrent
uTorrent is one of the BitTorrent clients that users can use to download and upload files, which include movies via peer-to-peer networks. However, this is not illegal by definition, but uTorrent is often used to get access to copyrighted material without permission.
MediaBox HD
MediaBox HD is a streaming app that is available on various platforms. It allows users to enjoy a huge library of movies and TV shows for free.
Nevertheless, more often than not, MediaBox HD does not have legitimate ownership rights of these titles that come from unlawful sources.
MediaBox HD may be used by children who do not even realize that they are contributing to piracy and face risks when they get copyrighted content by unlawful means.
Flixtor
Flixtor is an online streaming site that provides a vast selection of movies and TV series for free. Nevertheless, the same as with the other unauthorized streaming sites, Flixtor features pirated content without proper permission.
Roja Directa
Roja Directa is a site where you can get links to football, basketball, and many other sports live streams. The site claims that it just aggregates links to third-party streams and, therefore, has nothing to do with the unauthorized streams, which may be in violation of the entertainment rights of sports leagues.
3 signs to identify illegal streaming sites
This increasing number of streaming platforms has made separating legal sources from illegal streaming web pages difficult.
Nevertheless, red flags can make one differentiate between a legal and an illegal streaming site, securing a safer and more legitimate online experience.
Here are three tips to help identify illegal streaming sites:
1. Content availability
The licensed movies, TV shows and other content that streaming services legitimize are carefully curated from reputable studios and distributors.
Moreover, pirate sites offer a huge number of the most recent movies from theaters that are not yet available for home viewing.
If a site provides access to more content than usual without payment or proper licensing, it could be operating in an illegal way.
2. Advertising and pop-ups
Illegal streaming sites usually use aggressive advertising methods to get revenue. These sites can bombard users with pop-up ads, redirects or deceptive banners, pushing them to click on unreasonable links.
On the other hand, services displaying ads are usually of legitimate origin and are non-intrusive or ad-free. Excessive advertising and irritating pop-ups are hallmarks of an illegal streaming platform.
3. Payment requests
Legitimate streaming services conform to both legal and moral standards. They negotiate and pay for appropriate licensing agreements and compensate content creators through subscription fees or advertising revenue.
Likewise, illegal streaming sites might also try to trick users by requesting payment for premium content access or claims of ad-free viewing.
Asking for payment without providing clear content licensing and distribution rights information is a red flag that indicates a site with pirated content.
4 ways to safeguard your child’s online activities
With the continuous growth of internet-connected devices and the abundance of online content, there is a need to implement efficient tactics to shield children from potential dangers and inappropriate material.
Here are four proven methods to enhance kids’ online safety:
1. Educate Kids with open mind
Online safety begins with education. Transparent and truthful communication with children on the possible dangers and safe use of the net is extremely important.
Instruct them about why they should not share private information and how to identify and avoid dangers online. It is also vital to teach them how to act and report when they come in contact with inappropriate content.
Empowering children with knowledge enables them to make the right choices as they exercise their agency in the digital space.
2. Use a parental control app
Parental control app like FlashGet Kids can also be utilized as an additional safety measure. Such apps empower parents to monitor and control their kids’ online activities.
Features like content filtering, screen time limitation, and tracking app allow parents to safeguard online safety based on the child’s age and the level of his or her maturity.
FlashGet Kids, built with child safety in mind, has a friendly user interface and powerful controls for administering Internet access. It’s a simple 3-step from downloading the FlashGet Kids app to setting up the features you need and takes about three minutes to complete.
3. Establish ground rules
Set clear and observable internet usage rules. Set reasonable time limits to screen time, indicate which websites and applications are allowed, and teach responsible behavior online.
Restate the need to approach parents for assistance if they get into unusual or uncomfortable situations. Consistent communication and reaffirmation of these rules establish a structured and safe online environment.
4. Create a safe online space
Engage in the development of a safe website for children. Set your privacy settings on social media networks, use age-appropriate platforms, and monitor the gaming sites.
Parents can anticipate emerging risks and respond timely by just watching out for their children’s online activities. It will create a healthy environment where children can feel supported and protected.
Conclusion
The rise of pirated movie websites implies many online risks and negative ethical tendencies of our children. We as parents incur the responsibility to protect our children from the risks found in the digital world.
Instead of downloading movies from illegal sources like torrents, legal streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video would be a better choice. These can provide a huge number of movies and series regularly and securely.
FAQs
Are free streaming sites illegal?
Yes, they are. Almost whenever you are looking at free streaming sites you will find the contents are pirated and not legit since they lack the copyright or permission.
Is an illegal free movie site safe?
There are pirated movie sites that are not secure. For the most part, they are not copyright-protected and contain malware, viruses and other malicious software. The best thing is to not engage on such platforms for the security of your online activity.
How to watch free movies online safely?
To watch 100% legal online movies safely, just search a legal streaming service, such as YouTube, Kanopy (if you have a membership to your local library) or platforms offering free trials. Also use ad blockers, keep your software updated and ensure it is secure before loading the content.
