Streaming FAQs

Trying to be safe while looking for your favorite movie or TV show can feel confusing and overwhelming. Below you can find answers to frequently asked questions about safe streaming, content piracy, and password sharing.

Piracy

Password Sharing

Streaming Services

Piracy FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions regarding content piracy and safe streaming.

Is it illegal to stream movies online?

Streaming movies online can be either illegal or legal, depending on the site or service from which you stream. By watching movies from an unlicensed website, you are engaging in illegal streaming, which may result in financial risk, identity theft, and virus threats. A video stream from a site or company with a copyright license to broadcast a movie is legal.

Are illegal streaming sites safe?

No. Illegal streaming sites can compromise users’ security and safety in a variety of ways, including identity theft, bloatware, malware, invasive ads, viruses, phishing scams, and more. There’s also always the potential for legal prosecution for those operating these types of sites. When providing illegal content online, sites open themselves up to a variety of penalties, including the site being shut down.

Learn more about the Most Frequented Illegal Streaming Sources for Movies, Shows, Music, Games, and More.

What is Content Piracy?

Content Piracy is the unauthorized duplication of copyrighted content that is then either offered to you for free or sold to you at a considerably lower price than you would expect to pay. Content “pirates” – yes, the name comes from the criminals who steal and loot at sea – offer TV shows, sports and movies without the permission of the owner of the content.

Is piracy legal?

Piracy is NOT legal. Content pirates circumvent legal copy protection and distribute material without the authorization or permission of the content owner. Those who upload these stolen copyrighted files risk civil or criminal prosecution.

Learn more in the article, “Is Piracy Legal?”

Is it safe to watch pirated content?

The short answer: NO. When you pay for a service that offers unauthorized or stolen content, you’re providing your financial information to a thief. Additionally, downloading, streaming or torrenting pirated content can put your devices and your personal information at risk from malware.

Learn more in the article, “Watching Pirated Content Is Not Safe.”

Is streaming copyrighted content illegal?

Streaming copyrighted content is not illegal if it’s done so through a legitimate and legal site such as Tubi, Hulu, Peacock, Netflix, Max, etc. It is illegal to stream copyrighted content via streaming sites and platforms that do not have a legal right to share that content.

What is Malware?

‘Malware’ is a combination of two words – MALicious and softWARE. Viruses, ransomware and spyware are examples of malware, and the name covers any software written with intent to damage devices or steal data.

Learn more in the article, “What is Malware?”

How do pirates deliver content?

Pirates use one or more of these distribution methods:

Subscription-based apps and web services, offered for free or at “too good to be true” prices
Hardware-based devices which have been altered to enable access to stolen material
Ad-supported services utilizing unknown or risky advertising sources

Learn more in the article, “What Pirate Streaming Sites Use to Lure Consumers.”

What is Torrenting?

Torrenting is a method of sharing content. Unlike streaming, which involves a single file provided to you from one server, a torrent breaks up one large file and splits it up into many smaller files. Torrenting can be a legal way to get larger files, but downloading unauthorized, stolen copyrighted material via torrenting is illegal. It’s not always obvious which content is legal to torrent and which isn’t. Additionally, accessing unauthorized content via torrenting may expose your device to malware.

What are the risks of viewing unauthorized, stolen, or pirated content?

Here are four big ones:

Your home network or devices could get infested with malware.
When the pirate service gets shut down, devices you’ve been paying for to access their content will become useless hardware.
Pirate sites don’t usually offer parental controls, which legitimate services provide to protect children from inappropriate or harmful material.
Torrenting sites can engage your computer in the active sharing of content, putting you at risk of not just viewing but also distributing pirated content.
Learn more in the article, “Risks of Viewing Pirated Content.”

How can I avoid pirated content?

TV shows, sports programs or movies offered for free or for considerably less than what you would expect to pay are could be from unauthorized sources, such as pirate sites. The best way to avoid pirated content is to use common sense and research dubious streaming sites before visiting them.
Learn more in the article, “Look for These Red Flags to Avoid Pirate Sites.”

Password Sharing FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions regarding password sharing and safe streaming.

Why is password sharing considered risky?

Once you share your password with someone, you can’t control who or how many people they might share it with.
If you use the same password for multiple sites, those with whom you shared your password with will also have access to any of these sites.
If your password gets shared with the wrong people, they can steal personal information from your profile.
If someone you shared your password with gets hacked, you could get hacked too.
Learn more about Account Sharing – What to Consider

When is password sharing safe?

Sharing a password is a little like telling someone a secret and asking them not to repeat it. You’re never 100% sure it won’t get shared with someone else. The best advice is to protect your password like you would your social security number and only share it with extremely trusted sources, such as family members.

Streaming Services FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the safety and legality of streaming services.

How can I watch YouTube TV for free?

To watch YouTube TV for free take the following steps:

Click the “Try It Free” button on the YouTube TV homepage. (There might also be a popup with a free subscription offer.)
Log in to your Google account.
Enter your zip code and select “Next”.
Select any channels and/or add-ons and click “Next”.
Enter your billing info and click “Start Trial”.
Start watching YouTube TV for free!At the end of your trial period, your credit card will be charged, so if you don’t want to start paying for a subscription, be sure to cancel before the trial period ends.

Where can I watch live TV streaming?

There are a lot of live TV streaming options available, including on-the-go options from cable TV companies and streaming services such as Max and Disney+. Other live TV streaming options include:

FuboTV
Hulu + Live TV
SlingTV
Philo
YouTube TV

Is it legal to stream movies on Twitch or Discord?

It’s complicated. Both Twitch and Discord users must be accessing the movie via a legal site (i.e. Netflix, FuboTV, Quibi, Roku Channel, etc.) for the stream to be legal, but there are other rules in play, too. If watching with others, the watch party must be a “private” showing and not open to the “public”. What’s a private showing vs a public showing? Think of it in terms of how we used to watch movies. Watching a DVD at home with family or friends is a private showing. Watching a movie at a movie theater is a public showing.

Are sites like 123Movies, Vumoo, and Moviesjoy illegal?

Sites like 123Movies, Vumoo, and Moviesjoy are considered illegal as they offer copyrighted content without proper authorization. These sites host pirated movies and TV shows, constituting copyright infringement in most countries. It’s advisable to use legal streaming platforms to support creators and avoid legal and security risks.

Is the Pirate Bay still working?

Yes, the Pirate Bay is still working, but as an illegal torrenting site, it is not safe to use. Users are sometimes victims of malware, hacking, bloatware, and legal trouble. To access copyrighted material legally and safely, use a safe and legal streaming site.

Is 123movies illegal?

Yes. 123movies is illegal in the United States. 123movies does not acquire copyright licenses for the content available on their websites. Even though they do not host this illegally acquired content on their site, it is still illegal to access it and could result in prosecution.

Is Crackle safe?

Yes, Crackle is a completely secure streaming service that offers TV shows, movies, original programming, and more. You can safely watch Crackle for free at crackle.com or by using the Crackle app on supported devices.

Is Crackle legal?

Crackle is a 100% free and legal streaming service. You can enjoy free TV shows and movies with no copyright concerns on crackle.com or by using the Crackle app on supported devices. Previously owned by Sony, Crackle was sold to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment in 2019.

Is Tubi safe?

Tubi is a fully secure streaming service that offers free, ad-supported content from studios such as MGM, Paramount, and Lionsgate. You can safely watch thousands of movies and TV shows online at tubitv.com or through the Tubi app on supported devices.

Is Tubi legal?

Yes, Tubi is a completely legitimate and legal streaming service owned by the Fox Corporation. You can watch free, ad-supported content with no copyright concerns at tubitv.com or by downloading the Tubi app on supported devices.

Is Pluto TV safe?

Yes, Pluto TV is a totally safe and secure streaming service that offers live TV and on-demand entertainment at no cost. You can enjoy Pluto TV by visiting pluto.tv or using a supported device to download the Pluto TV app.

Is Pluto TV legal?

Pluto TV is a fully legal and free streaming service owned and operated by Paramount Streaming. Pluto TV offers 250+ live TV channels along with on-demand content available online at pluto.tv or through the Pluto TV app on supported devices.

Is Popcornflix safe?

Popcornflix is a completely safe and secure streaming service that offers free, ad-supported access to various movies and TV shows. You can safely watch Popcornflix online at popcornflix.com or by using the Popcornflix app, available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and most smart TVs.

Is Popcornflix legal?

Yes, Popcornflix is a 100% legal streaming service owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (also the owner of Crackle). Popcornflix offers free, legitimate access to 1,500+ movies and TV series. You can watch by visiting popcornflix.com or downloading the Popcornflix app on Google Play, the Apple App Store, or most smart TVs.

Is The Pirate Bay safe?

As one of the most popular websites for people to illegally access copyrighted content, we do not recommend The Pirate Bay as a safe streaming option. Downloading pirated content from a torrent site like The Pirate Bay can expose your device to malware. Even if your intention is to use The Pirate Bay to download legal content, the risks are not worth it. We recommend using a trusted streaming service instead.

Is The Pirate Bay legal?

While The Pirate Bay is not an illegal website, some of the content that is shared violates copyright laws. Although torrent sites can be used to share legal files, The Pirate Bay is known for offering access to pirated movies and shows, which can put you at risk of malware attacks and legal trouble. We recommend using a safe streaming service instead of The Pirate Bay.

Is Plex safe?

Plex works with an open certificate authority called Let’s Encrypt to provide users with secure certificates for their media servers, meaning you can safely stream 50,000+ on-demand titles. You can watch on plex.tv or by downloading Plex on the device where you store your media.

Is Plex legal?

Yes, streaming free content from the Plex servers is completely legal. You can safely watch more than 50,000 titles through Plex servers with no copyright concerns.

Is Mobdro safe?

Because you have the ability to illegally view copyrighted content on Mobdro, we do not recommend it as a safe streaming service. Mobdro has the potential to be a dangerous option because unauthorized access to copyrighted content can lead to legal trouble or malware. Though it’s technically a legal platform, using Mobdro is not worth the risk when there are so many free and safe options available.

Is Mobdro legal?

Technically, Mobdro is a legal platform. However, Mobdro operates in a legal gray area and does nothing to prevent its users from illegally accessing copyrighted content. As a result, it’s among the list of streaming services we do not recommend.

Is Kanopy safe?

Yes, Kanopy is a totally safe and secure streaming service that offers free access to documentaries, foreign films, independent films, and educational videos. Kanopy is available to the following:

Anyone who has a valid library card from a participating public library
Any registered student of a participating university
Any faculty member of a participating university

Is Kanopy legal?

Kanopy is a 100% legal and legitimate streaming service that focuses on offering free access to documentaries, foreign films, independent films, and educational videos. To sign up for Kanopy, you must be a member of a participating public library or be a registered student or faculty member of a participating university.

Is Roku safe?

Yes, as one of the larger and more popular streaming options, Roku is a fully safe and reliable provider of streaming devices. In fact, the Roku Streaming Stick is one of the highest-rated streaming devices on the market, so you can feel at ease when streaming. Roku even uses its own app store, meaning all available apps have been vetted by Roku for any safety or legal concerns.

Is Roku legal?

Roku is 100% legal. There are no legal concerns when properly using a Roku streaming device. Roku also uses its own app store, meaning it has full control to ensure all available apps are safe and legal.

Is Kodi safe?

While the Kodi app itself is safe, it’s commonly used to engage in illegal streaming. If you use Kodi to illegally watch copyrighted content, it’s no longer safe because it can result in legal trouble or malware attacks. With so many safe streaming services available, we do not recommend using Kodi.

Is Kodi legal?

If used properly, Kodi is a legal streaming option. However, Kodi allows you to stream content illegally, which can put you at risk of malware attacks and legal trouble. As a result, it’s among the list of streaming services we do not recommend.

Is Apollo Group TV safe?

Apollo Group TV is an unverified IPTV provider with high ratings on Trustpilot and Scam Adviser, meaning it may be a safe streaming option. However, it can be difficult to determine whether IPTV providers have the proper licensing, so using a verified safe streaming service is best.

Is Apollo Group TV legal?

As an unverified IPTV provider, it can be difficult to determine whether options like Apollo Group TV have the proper licensing. Though it may be legal, we recommend using a 100% safe streaming site.

Is Popcorn Time safe?

We do not recommend Popcorn Time as a safe streaming option because, as a torrent site, it allows for illegal access to copyrighted content. Downloading pirated content could expose your devices to malware. Though Popcorn Time itself isn’t an unsafe site, the potential for illegal content sharing isn’t worth the risk when there are so many safe streaming services available.

Is Popcorn Time legal?

Although Popcorn Time is not an illegal website, some of the content that is shared violates copyright laws. Torrent sites are often used to access pirated movies, shows, games, and more. Pirated content can put you at risk of malware attacks and legal trouble. We recommend using a verified safe streaming service instead of using Popcorn Time.

Is Xumo safe?

Xumo is a completely safe and free, ad-supported streaming TV service that offers more than 300 channels. You can enjoy Xumo by visiting play.xumo.com or downloading the Xumo Play app.

Is Xumo legal?

As a joint venture between Comcast and Charter, Xumo is a 100% legal streaming service. Xumo offers 300+ live TV channels along with on-demand content. You can watch Xumo online at play.xumo.com or through the Xumo Play app.

Is ViX safe?

Yes, ViX is a safe and secure streaming service that offers free Spanish-language programming, including movies, TV shows, live news, and sports. ViX is a free, ad-supported service, but it does offers a paid premium plan that features no ads and additional content. You can watch online at vix.com or by downloading the ViX app on supported devices.

Is ViX legal?

ViX is a legal streaming service owned by TelevisaUnivision, the world’s leading Spanish-language media company. The service offers both free and paid options, featuring live sports, news, movies, and TV shows, all in Spanish. ViX can be enjoyed online at vix.com or through the ViX app on any supported device.

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