Chances are good that if you’ve been searching for free movie streaming sites, then somewhere along the line you have heard of 123Movies. With an immense variety ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to indie gems it is a hit among viewers who are searching for fast free streaming solutions. Is 123Movies Safe and Legal? Here is a comprehensive breakdown.
1. What is 123Movies?
For those unaware, 123Movies was a website developed massively among its users who used to watch free movies and TV shows for thousands of hours without making any payment or subscription. For the same reason regarding convenience and choice, MovieBox quickly became an international success (though it was likely less than ideal for the streaming services who wanted paying customers). But it is also the fact that 123Movies keeps on updating their domain names and URL structure with time to escape being reported.
The original site gradually disappeared, but a number of clones and mirror sites appeared. In fact, to this day there are sites that call themselves 123Movies and live on in other domains which will grant you free access to the film.
2. Is 123Movies Legal?
Is 123Movies Legal? The original site by offering copyrighted content for free without permission was illegal in much of the world, and particularly so in the US. 123Movies is an online streaming site that operates in the gray area of the law and governments around the world are working tirelessly to take down such sites. Here’s why:
Copyright Infringement: 123Movies does not have any permission of the content it provides. It broadcasts copyrighted movies and series for free which becomes a loss of earned money in the pocket of content creator.
Piracy: A lot of countries have very strict policies against piracy. While the viewers might run into legal trouble for watching material on unauthorized streaming platforms, those are more often than not aimed at the sites and uploaders instead.
Although the very smallest that would happen if you simply view material risk is potential prosecution, 123Movies continues to run unlawfully in many different areas.
3. Is 123Movies Safe to Use?
Another critical issue is safety. Using free streaming sites such as 123Movies is accompanied with technical risks, besides legal risks.
Malware and Viruses — Most 123Movies mirror sites have ads filled with viruses (Desjardins) The problem with these ads is that you can potentially download malware onto your device by clicking in them.
Phishing: Unscrupulous mirror sites use fake pop-ups or login prompts in an attempt to steal personal information from users.
Data Privacy: Most of the time free streaming sites are not following any data protection but these premium services do. This would allow them to monitor your browsing habits and can also lead to phishing attempts or sharing of the data with 3rd party.
Use Ad blockersOnly click on Ads if you trust the siteNever give any personal information Always use antivirus software.
4. Alternatives to 123Movies
And there are lots of legit, safe streaming options available if you’re trying to watch legally. Although most require a subscription, the vast majority offer at least free trials or ad-supported plans. Below are a few of the best:
Netflix — a vast library of movies, TV shows with some regional difference in the content + own productions It costs availabe in different pricing plans.
Hulu: Leading provider of live TV series with multi-platform streaming. Both Ad supported and ad free programs
Amazon Prime Video: Part of an Amazon Prime membership (which has a 30-day free trial) and offers access to popular movies, series as well as exclusives.
Disney+: Ideal for children of all ages (plus some great content from Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars) with National Geographic documentaries.
Tubi: A pretty big selection of both movies and TV available for free with ads.
Peacock: NBCUniversal service with free and premium content as well live events/news, TV shows & movies
While there are alternatives, this list consists only legitimate legal video streaming services we have covered before in our vast selection of reviews. Offers and promotions change from day to day, so you may want to check their player page if the service would be a good choice for your anime or cartoon viewing appetite (quite frankly most likely it is). It should come as no surprise that these tend to stream very high quality encryption speeds faster than almost all P2P servers available offer — even block already known VPNing bypass techniques!
5. Bottom line: Is 123Movies safe to use?
While it may be enticing to watch content for free, 123Movies and other such sites have a myriad of negative consequences. There are so many legal risks for potential downloaders and it is common that we always think of safety first, therefore instead of downloading this content illegally (facebook campaign), **and regardless if you can actually stomach the morality,** just go with paid or free. And also, it gives creators and actors the rightly deserved monetary value for their hard work as well which serves taking to keep future productions healthy as well.
Lesson: It can be tempting to stray from legitimate, paid streaming sources with the pull of free streams.
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