If you are fond of watching movies online, then you must have heard about 123Movies as it is famous for that purpose only and it has proven to be very popular with people wanting to stream movies online. But it might be illegal to watch 123Movies in your country, depending upon the rules and regulations laid down by your country’s government.
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Why are people so fond of using a VPN for watching 123Movies?
Well, the popularity is for a very strong reason. People nowadays want to access everything online but without sharing their personal details. So, people use a VPN (virtual private network) for 123Movies To stay safe and be anonymous while watching stuff online, because a VPN hides their IP address and identity. This way, people become practically untraceable when using sites like 123Movies.
The entertainment 123Movies provides has made it one of the most popular websites to stream movies and TV shows online. The other names it is popular with are “GoMovies,” “GoStream,” “MeMovies,” and “123movieshub.” The official 123Movies website was totally shut in March of 2018, but copies of the site are still available and are accessible through online mirrors. Even so, 123Movies is still a very popular search term according to Google Trends, and it shows that these streaming services are still in high demand.
Is it illegal to use 123Movies?
Yes, use of 123Movies is actually illegal in most cases. Every country has a different say on pirating copyrighted content, but it must not be legal in any case. Most countries try to protect intellectual property by outlawing the downloading of copyrighted content. Still, there are some countries that allow it for personal use or allow it all together.
Because every country has different rules regarding copyright infringement and piracy, you need to check your country’s rules before going to a site like 123Movies.
Piracy rules in different countries.
In Poland, Spain, and Switzerland , the government allows pirating and it is legal if done for personal use. In countries like Australia, China, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, and the United States, pirating is illegal . There are countries like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, India, Israel, Iran, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Uruguaywhich do have strict laws for pirating, which is totally illegal, but individuals are not actively prosecuted.
Is it safe to use 123Movies?
We’ve already told you that the sites are catering to pirated content on sites like 123Movies, and since the official website of 123Movies isn’t online anymore, the only way to access its database is through copies, also known as mirrors, of the website. These are in control of a third party that doesn’t have to be involved in the original 123Movies website. This means there’s no quality control. The owner of a copy can inject the site with malware or may track some of your data. The only ways to make sure you stay safe are by protecting yourself with a VPN and antivirus software, or not using sites like 123Movies.
How to Get to 123Movies
The use of 123Movies is not legal in every country, as we have listed above with the names of the countries. But still, it is legal in certain regions. So, for those, the steps to access the 123Movies site are as follows:
- First, use a VPN (for example, Surfshark) and good antivirus software (for example, Kaspersky).
- Make sure to access a proper 123Movies-mirroror Google the term ‘123Movies Mirror’;
- When using Google, they have to visit a site that shows a list of 123Movies mirrors because Google doesn’t always show these mirrors in their search results And that’s how you can access 123Movies.
Alternatives to Legal 123Movies
Well, it is kind of impossible to find streaming and downloading sites that are both free and legal. The right way to get access is through websites or streaming services that are subscription-basedif you are going with copyrighted content. These websites or services charge a relatively small amount of money for a large database of movies and shows. They don’t serve the newest movies and shows like illegal streaming sites often do, but they still have a pretty big collection. The popular legal alternatives to 123Movies are
- Netflix: It’s the biggest streaming service with a wide variety of movies and shows. This is why Netflix is the way to go for a lot of people.
- Amazon Prime Video: It has a smaller database of movies and shows compared to Netflix, but they might have the show you really want to watch. It is also cheaper.
- Disney Plus-it is focused completely on all things Disney. A treat for Disney fans
- HBO Max – it only has shows from HBO. It might not have the same amount of movies and shows as Netflix, but it has some very high-quality shows like Band of Brothers, The Sopranos and Game of Thrones.
- Hulu-Hulu is great for live sports. It’s a little cheaper than Netflix, but has fewer movies.
And many more are there to provide online streaming with a specified subscription.
Disclaimer
The information shared above is meant for informational purposes only. We have explained clearly that every country has its own laws and these laws change constantly, so be aware of that. We do not support the illegal use of sites such as 123Movies. We actually advise you to check whether it is allowed in your country to access 123Movies and act accordingly. If it’s illegal, please don’t use it.
