Is 123movies safe? (Updated December 2024)

Last Updated on September 5, 2024 by Walter

Is 123movies safe? How to watch 123Movies securely. What are the legalities of this practice? Is it safe to use VPN for 123Movies? Today we are diving in deep to answer these questions for you.

Is 123movies safe?

The short answer is NO. 123Movies is a well-known streaming service that allows you to watch movies online.

Remember that every country has its own rules and regulations. There are many areas that have taken different stances regarding copyright infringement or piracy. It is a good idea to check out the rules in your country before visiting 123Movies. It is possible for the legislation of one country to be very different from that of another.

. These are the main points of the article:

• It is likely that streaming on 123Movies in your country is not permitted. It will depend on the resources of your country whether you will face prosecution if authorities discover that you are viewing copyrighted content.
• The official 123Movies website was shut down in March 2018. A note on their homepage stated that they “respect filmmakers by supporting movies and TV shows.” All sites hosted after 2018 are copies of the original website.
• Popular legal alternatives to 123Movies.

Many people use a VPN to watch 123Movies.

Two main reasons people use VPNs (virtual private networks) to access 123Movies are:

• A VPN allows users to hide their IP address and identities online. This makes it virtually impossible to trace people when they use sites such as 123Movies.
• You can unblock the 123Movies site in countries where it is blocked.

Surfshark VPN is a popular VPN used to stream 123Movies securely. Surfshark is an affordable VPN that offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Surfshark is free to try. Check out our Surfshark review here.

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Are you breaking the law by streaming 123Movies?

It all depends on how you use the service. It is not illegal to stream on123movies. You could face criminal or civil charges if you upload anything or share any content.

You should not consider anything I say to be a legal recommendation. Since I'm not a lawyer, you shouldn't take what I say as a legal recommendation. However, I have done extensive research and found that there are many factors that could determine if you were actually breaking the law with 123Movies.

 

For personal use, pirating is allowed or legal

Poland, Spain, Switzerland

It is illegal to do piracy

China, Germany, United States, Australia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, South Africa

While pirating is an offense, individuals are not being prosecuted.

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, India, Israel, Iran, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Uruguay

 

 

It is important that you note that streaming copyrighted content is almost the same as downloading it. Streaming is downloading something and then watching it live. It will only take a few seconds for the cache to clear after you have left a page. You have not deleted the movie or TV show, but you still have it downloaded. Streaming is like downloading a torrent and then watching the movie or show immediately. Then, you can delete it when you are done.

What are the Legal Consequences When Streaming 123Movies

Different countries have different streaming rules. However, there are also differences in the consequences for violating those rules. In Germany, for example, you can be fined if authorities discover that you are downloading copyrighted material. However, you may only get a warning in other countries. It's much harder to prosecute streaming services like 123Movies because no files are left on someone's computers after viewing a stream. However, your IP address can be used to track you.

Some countries don't make the effort to prosecute those who stream illegally. Sometimes, authorities target the distributors of the content rather than individual viewers. If you live in a country that enforces copyright infringement laws, you may be sent a large fine. This can be very costly. You can read our article about fines for downloading to learn more.

How to Safely Watch 123Movies

We cannot condone the usage of 123Movies in certain countries because it is illegal. There are many countries that allow you to stream 123Movies, even if you're only using it for personal purposes.

If you use a mirror from 123Movies, however, you need to be protected against prying eyes, viruses and other malicious web hosts in countries where it's allowed. To protect your device and data, it is a good idea to use antivirus software. NordVPN is a popular VPN. NordVPN is a VPN that hides all of your streaming and internet activity from the governments and internet service providers.

• It is very user-friendly, and it works with torrents and Netflix
• 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
• Many additional options available for a low price

Is a VPN able to keep you safe on 123movies?

If you take all the safety precautions necessary to ensure that your network and device are safe from intrusions, then yes. Using a VPN is the best way to protect your network and device from any intrusions while streaming on 123movies.

Stream 123Movies safely with Surfshark

Antivirus software and VPN will ensure that you are fully protected from malware and spying websites admins. It is important that you say that downloading and streaming copyright materials is not permitted in all countries. Although a VPN can make you anonymous and protect you from being tracked when you use streaming services such as 123Movies, it is recommended that you follow the local laws. Consult a local expert if you are unsure of the rules.

Is it dangerous to use 123Movies?

We have already briefly discussed whether you are allowed to view content on sites like 123Movies. We haven't discussed safety issues when you use such a site, except for the possible fines.

It's difficult to answer the question ‘is it safe?' when we examine the safety of sites like 123Movies. It all depends on a few factors, most of them controlled by the site's host.

The official website of 123Movies has been taken offline. To access the database, copies of the website are required. Mirrors are also known as mirrors.

These 123movies copy websites are hosted and managed by a third party who does not need to be involved in the original 123Movies site. There is no quality control. Copy owners can either infect your site with malware or download your data, and track you. It is hard to determine if all mirrors are safe because there are so many. While some mirrors are safe, others may not be. You can protect yourself by using a VPN and antivirus software.

Be on the lookout for mirrors

123Movies was officially shut down in 2018, as previously mentioned. Any site that looks like 123Movies, or uses its name after it, is a mirror/copy. These copies attempt to be as authentic as possible. They could also be owned by anyone. This could lead to malware spreading through these mirrors, as we have already stated. It's not easy to report mirrors like this to authorities. They can be taken down and re-upped under another name.

How to Access 123Movies

It is not legal to use 123Movies in all areas. However, it is legal in some regions. These people must take precautions to ensure safety on sites like 123Movies. Here's how they do it.

• They use a VPN (for instance Surfshark), and good antivirus software (for instance Kaspersky).
• They ensure they have a 123Movies mirror or Google the term “123Movies Mirror”;
• Google users must visit a site with a list of mirrors for 123Movies when searching. Google doesn't always display these mirrors in search results.

This is how you can access 123Movies in countries that allow it.

Disclaimer: We don't condone illegal access to sites like 123Movies. It is important that you check whether access to 123Movies is permitted in your country. If it is, then take the appropriate action. Don't use it if it is illegal.

Alternatives to Legal 123Movies

It's difficult to find legal and free streaming or downloading sites. When you have copyrighted content, the easiest way to get access is via subscription-based streaming sites or services. These services or websites charge a small fee for access to a large collection of movies and shows. These websites or services don't always have the latest movies and shows, but they do have a large collection. Below are some legal alternatives to 123Movies.

What legal alternatives are there to 123Movies

There are many free streaming services that you can use, even if you don't want to use123Movies. These are safer in terms of following the laws and protecting you from malware.

These are the top options.

• Hoopla – This streaming service is free, but you will need a library card in order to use Hoopla. This card will allow you to access a wide range of movies and TV shows. It can even rival some of the streaming services that are paid!

• Locast – Locast is the best value in terms of quality. Local channels are available for free. You can view everything, from the major award ceremonies to local news and sports.

• IMDbTV – Although IMDb TV has a limited library, you can still view the most popular movies on this site. You can watch more than 340 movies, and you can also download entire TV series like Lost or Mad Men.

• Roku Channel – This will only be available to stream via Roku browsers and streaming devices. However, there are many classic '90s movies that you can watch if you're curious.

• Tubi – Tubi is a completely free service. It has over 19,000 movies and shows. Tubi is great for those who like action and horror films. A good selection of classic TV shows can be found here – great for a blast back to the past!

• Pluto TV – There are more than 100 channels available on Pluto TV that allow you to stream live TV without a subscription. These include news, entertainment, and sports. You can also choose from many films!

• Kanopy – Kanopy, while another service that requires a library account, is well worth the effort. It actually has more films on the top 250 list of IMDb than Hulu Prime Video and Netflix.

 

These alternatives may not work in every country. Some of these options are limited to the United States while others, such as Disney Plus, are available only in certain countries. To access these services, you will need a VPN to change your location.

Disclaimer: The information in the article is intended to be informative. The article on 123Movies is not intended to be our legal opinion. We aren't lawyers, and we don't offer any legal advice. Every country has its own laws, and they change all the time. You can consult a local expert if you have questions about the regulations and rules in your country.

Conclusion

I hope we've given you a clearer picture of “is 123movies safe”? This should have helped you gain a better understanding of 123Movies. It all depends on where you are located. A VPN is recommended for every streaming service. You can find many other streaming services that are not as risky as 123Movies, so I recommend you try them out instead of 123Movies!

Disclaimer: This guide is intended for educational purposes only. My VPN Hub and I do not support downloading copyrighted content. A VPN can make torrenting safer and more secure.