The risks of consuming pirated content

Although we take streaming and media downloads for granted nowadays, we arguably have internet piracy to thank for the emergence of paid platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

The unregulated 1990s internet saw peer-to-peer file sharing platforms mushrooming in popularity, allowing consumers to share music and videos freely – and illegally.

For the first time, media content was available over the internet, albeit at a time when a low-resolution music video file often took an hour to download – and even then in two parts.

Downloading video content along dial-up proved prohibitively slow, whereas compressed MP3 files of a few megabytes each were ideal for sharing and distributing online.

While this was clearly illegal, much of the resulting backlash from artists and the music industry was either hypocritical or driven by commercial self-interest.

Despite being leading critics of Napster, Metallica failed to acknowledge that their early career was built on free tape trading, allowing them to forge a reputation and attract new fans.

Meanwhile, record labels who’d been merrily slapping £17 sticker prices on CDs seemed unable to identify why consumers had become hostile to their profiteering tactics.

Nascent streaming technology forced the music industry to evolve, and ever since, pirated content has existed alongside legitimate services like Netflix, Tidal and Audible.

Given a straight choice between paying for something or getting it free, many of us would instinctively choose the latter.

Piracy sites remain free to use because they generate money through advertising, donations, subscriptions, affiliate marketing or selling user data – usually without consent.

Yet this supposedly free pirated content poses numerous risks to consumers.

A quick legal overview

Around the world, digital copyright laws protect artistic creators and copyright holders against their content being used, copied or distributed without prior agreement – and therefore payment.

Here in the UK, a variety of agencies are in constant pursuit of individuals and businesses in breach of digital copyright laws.

Agencies include the Federation Against Copyright Theft (the people behind those naff “piracy is theft” DVD ads), Trading Standards and the police.

Their work is aimed at preventing the digital bootlegging of content, illegally sharing files without copyright, operating or supporting a file-sharing website, and so forth.

Pirated materials could include film and TV content, music and gaming, publishing and books.

Punishments for piracy include a £5,000 fine and five years in prison, while ancillary orders may be made regarding compensation, confiscation and financial reporting.

A quick safety overview

Torrents and P2P filesharing platforms rely on user-uploaded files being legitimate in nature and accurately named.

If someone uploaded extreme pornography under an innocuous filename, the recipient might have no idea what they were accessing until they’d downloaded and opened the file.

A survey by Internet Matters has concluded that half of young illegal streamers had been exposed to age-inappropriate content.

Equally, malware could be embedded into a supposedly legitimate media file, activating as soon as it’s downloaded and opened on the recipient’s device.

Once embedded, this malware could monitor keystrokes for data theft, lock the device until a ransom is paid, or grant hackers unrestricted access to files and internet connections.

Access could also be exploited in more sinister ways, such as commandeering a webcam to spy on victims, or deliberately displaying harmful content to children.

Best practice

Anecdotally, it has become much harder in recent years to use torrent websites or P2P portals as illegal streaming platforms.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of piracy websites and apps in existence, often based overseas and crudely translated into English.

Be wary of very cheap (or free) content, sites without genuine reviews on legitimate platforms like Trustpilot, or foreign platforms with poor presentation and broken links.

Always conduct internet searches to check the authenticity of a new or unknown streaming service, since handing your bank details to criminals could be costly in more ways than one…