URLs Google has been asked to take down by copyright holders. Arrr, it’s pirated content, matey. It’s not just classic torrent sites anymore; movies, music and lots more land on streaming sites and file-hosting services.
You might be breaking the law online and not even know it
If you’ve ever uploaded a video to YouTube, you know how fast it will be flagged if there’s even a hint of a copyrighted song playing in the background.
If you’re shaking your head, you’re not alone. There are many things you shouldn’t do online. Some are just plain dangerous. Tap or click for five silly mistakes putting your online privacy and security at risk.
Benign actions can put your info in the hands of clever criminals. Take your phone number. Tap or click to see why you must stop sharing your real phone number with anyone who asks.
Before diving into my list of illegal online activities, I must remind you: I’m not a lawyer. Use your best judgment.
Getting movies for free
This illegal activity shouldn’t be a surprise. Downloading a movie — or album, eBook, audiobook, or another piece of media — from a torrenting site is a no-go. Given how easy it is to stream about anything, you hear less about torrenting than in years past.
Still, people flock to download copies of newly released movies. Go to a torrenting site, hit download, and you’ll likely get a shaky, dubbed version of what you want to watch.
It could get worse. Watch the mail for a warning notice when your ISP detects you have downloaded copyright-protected content. They could cancel your service and alert the authorities if you don’t knock it off.
Here’s something else to consider. Torrents are a common vector for spreading malware. Stay safe and only use reputable apps and services that have the right to show you what you want to watch.
Tap or click for 13 tried and true ways to watch movies for free.
Using images on your site or videos
Unless you have express permission or know a photo is in the public domain, it’s not yours to use or share online. It’s unlikely you’ll get nailed for copyright infringement by posting a meme on Facebook. However, be especially careful when posting images to your website or using images in your videos.
8 things you should never do online
A good deal of the hardships we experience online are self-inflicted. Hackers can use the personal details we post on social media to attack us. Using easy-to-crack passwords puts you at risk for dangerous data breaches and clicking malicious links can lead to huge headaches.
Blast from the past: Play thousands of archived computer games
In the early days of the web, Flash was king. You couldn’t go past a popular website without seeing troves of Flash videos, cartoons and games. Sometimes, even entire websites would be built in Flash — and featured insane custom layouts and animations you couldn’t find anywhere else.