Do you want to watch the latest movies and TV series without paying for them? Of course, 123movies is the best option for availing of these benefits. Because everybody loves to watch the latest movies for free without paying for subscriptions.
But are you worried whether 123movies is safe and legal to use? Your concern is completely justified and reasonable. So, stay hooked on this blog and find answers to all your queries and concerns.
⏳ Short in Time? Here’s is the quick guide
123Movies is blocked in your region, due to the site offers the latest movies for free i.e pirated content. While the legality depends on the country reside. But using a VPN like ExpressVPN effectively unblocks streaming services like 123Movies by masking your original IP with a server IP where 123Movies is legal while keeping your identity private. So, you can enjoy watching the latest movies for free. Also, ExpressVPN comes with 30 day money-back guarantee program which is 100% risk-free to try.
⚠Disclaimer: This guide is just for educational purposes only. Neither do I nor PrivacyPapa support any kind of copyrighted content.
What is 123movies?
123movies is known as the world’s most popular illegal site as it allows users to watch every type of movie for free. It is believed to be controlled from Vietnam and users from across the globe can access this website and watch their favorite movies for free.
It is also believed that Vietnamese students are the developers of this website, which allow pirated copies of movies to be accessible to users. This site faced many copyright claims and was blocked many times. But it still exists and has been existing since 2015 even though it had to go through a lot of name changes.
123movies not only provides the users access to the latest, old movies and TV series but also provides them with HD resolution high-quality videos. It also allows the users to choose the quality and resolution of the movies that they want to watch.
Can 123movies Be Used Legally?
123movies is not legal to use in many countries due to the fact that different countries adhere to different rules and regulations regarding piracy and copyright infringement. Since this site has got almost all the movies and the pirated versions as well, it lands in the copyright issues. Many countries have even geo-restricted 123movies because of the same reason.
So, we cannot say that 123movies is totally safe and legal to use. Because of the copyright issues and bans that 123movies faced, it has seen a lot of name changes like “GoStream”, “MeMovies”, “GoMovies”, “123movieshub”, etc.
Only Poland, Switzerland, and Spain have allowed piracy for personal use. Countries like the US, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, Australia, Finland, Great Britain, South Africa, Russia, etc., have disregarded piracy as totally illegal. Brazil, Canada, Argentina, Egypt, India, Greece, Netherland, Singapore, Israel, Iran, Mexico, etc., consider piracy illegal but no strict action is taken against any individual who indulges in piracy.
Moreover, there are many clone sites that have been made with a similar name. And these sites contain dangerous malware that may damage your device. Despite being illegal it has become very risky to access and stream movies through the 123Movies website.
How Can 123Movies Be Used Safely?
The only option that you have for accessing 123Movies safely is, to use a good-quality VPN. Using these VPNs allows you to access 123Movies with safety and security as it prevents anybody from seeing or viewing your data. It provides you with an anonymous identity by hiding your IP address and adds additional privacy to your bucket. It also makes sure that your downloads from sites like 123movies are secured and cannot be traced down.
Some of the VPNs also provide safety from malware or viruses which is essential protection required while accessing 123movies. These sites often have unwanted pop-ups and viruses, and sometimes downloading from such sites might prove to be very dangerous for you. So, VPNs are very much necessary for the security and safety of your data and information and for making your online experience more protected.
The best VPNs that you can use for accessing 123movies are:
ExpressVPN
It is one of the most famous and fastest VPNs available on the internet. ExpressVPN has got almost 3000 servers covering 94 countries. It also works best with Netflix, 123movies, iPlayer, Amazon prime video, Hulu, etc. This VPN is well known for providing the fastest connection with reliability mostly for watching movies.
It is one of the most secure VPNs that comes with advanced features like a kill switch, high-quality encryption, and an adblocker. Also, the variety of protocols that it provides is tremendous and the security and speed are top-notch.
CyberGhost VPN
It is considered great for bypassing geoblocks and for availing the benefit of fast speed. CyberGhost comes with more than 8911 servers covering almost all the countries of the world. It comes with the feature of being able to connect to almost seven devices at the same time.
The fast speed that it provides helps the users to stream videos without any hindrance of lagging or freezing. It also comes with an ad blocker that helps you to stream movies without any irritating interruption of ads. The most prominent features of this VPN are the split tunnel feature, no logs, and military-grade encryption.
IPVanish VPN
IPVanish VPN is the most affordable and fastest VPN that a user can use to access the 123movies website. It has got almost 2000 servers spread across more than 75 countries. It comes with zero-traffic log-ins, unlimited bandwidth, and much more.
This VPN is user efficient as it is very easy to use and comes with military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and DNS protection. While accessing 123Movies through this VPN, you are ensured that your information is not shared with a third party. The 24/7 customer support that it provides is one of the supreme features that makes it more user-friendly.
Surfshark VPN
It is also a user-friendly VPN that works well with Netlflix and torrents as well. Surfshark VPN allows you to connect all the devices simultaneously. There is a strict no-logs policy, a kill switch, private DNS and leaks protection, no borders mode, camouflage mode, and much more.
Surfshark provides you with supreme encryption and secure protocols, and you can also change your IP address. So, Surfshark is one of the best options that you can use to access 123movies.
Legal Issues Of Using 123movies
The legal issues of using 123movies entirely depend on the rules and regulations of the country you live in and it varies based on country to country. Countries like Germany impose penalities on streaming any kind of copyrighted content.
Mostly the governments of the countries focus more on punishing the distributor of the copyrighted content rather than the viewer. And that is the reason why 123movies have been banned many times in various countries. Also, there are many countries where people are continuously watched and fined or prosecuted once they access illegal content.
Is It Safe To Use 123movies?
123movies is definitely an illegal site to use so you cannot expect it to be safe for streaming videos and watching movies. All the safety of accessing the site depends on the person hosting it as he is the one who has got full control of the site.
Since 123movies has faced many bans and copyright issues, it exists as a mirror or cloned copies on the web, which are unsafe to use. Usually, these mirrors are hosted by third parties who have no connection with the original owners of 123movies.
These third-party owners can inject malware or virus into these mirrors which can affect your device once you stream or download any movie from it. Also, there are so many mirrors available on the web that it becomes difficult to distinguish which one is safe and reliable. So, using a VPN or anti-virus software is the best way to safely access such websites.
Things To Remember While Accessing 123movies
In some countries, you can access 123movies freely due to the liberal privacy and copyright infringement laws that exist there. But from wherever you are accessing 123movies, you need to make sure that you take care of these steps:
- Make sure to use a VPN like the Surfshark VPN, CyberGhost VPN, Express VPN, etc., because you never know whether you are accessing the unsafe mirror copies or not.
- Make sure before accessing 123movies, that you first do proper research on the laws and regulations followed by your country.
- Make sure the website doesn’t inject any malware or virus into your device.
What To Use Instead Of 123movies?
There is a lot of doubt regarding the legality of 123movies but you should always go for the legal and most reliable option even though it is subscription-based. So some of the alternatives that you can use in place of 123movies are:
- Netflix: It is one of the biggest and most famous movies streaming platforms. It has got a large database of movies and TV series that are mostly released on Netflix. Using a VPN can help you to expand the database by accessing the geo-restricted content.
- Hulu: It doesn’t have a large database of movies but is cheaper than Netflix. Hulu is mostly preferred for live sports. Also, it is restricted in some countries but a VPN can always come out as a rescue to access Hulu hindrance-free.
- YouTube: It is one of the most widely accessed video streaming platforms. The free access provided by YouTube to all types of videos makes it a favorite among the audience.
Why You Shouldn’t Use 123movies?
Since 123movies has attracted a lot of attention due to the question of whether it is legal or illegal. But there are definitely many reasons why you shouldn’t use it and prefer some legal and safe alternatives to 123movies. Some of the reasons why you shouldn’t use 123movies are:
- It is not safe as many cloned websites and mirror copies of 123movies are present all over the internet and have got malware and virus which might affect your device.
- It is not legal in most countries due to piracy and copyright infringement laws.
- You can also be fined a hefty amount if caught accessing this site.
- The ads and pop-up messages that this website contains may turn out to be very dangerous for you.
FAQs
Can 123movies harm my computer or mobile phone?
Yes, 123movies can turn out to be harmful to your computer because of its mirrors and cloned websites present all over the web. The cloned or mirror websites contain harmful malware and virus that might be dangerous to your device. You should always turn your VPN on before accessing any 123movies website.
Is 123movies banned?
Many countries such as China, Japan, Italy, the US, etc., have banned 123movies due to their strict laws on privacy and copyright infringement.
But it can still be accessed in countries like Switzerland, Spain, and Polland. Some countries like Brazil, Canada, India, etc., do consider piracy illegal but no strict action is taken against the user.
Can you access 123movies with a VPN?
Yes, you can definitely access 123movies with a VPN because it protects your device, provides you with an anonymous identity, and changes your IP address. Moreover, it also protects your device from the malware spread by cloned or mirror websites of 123movies.
Conclusion
123movies has come under a lot of limelight due to the bans and blockades that it has faced. But it still emerges to be one of the most famous and most-watched movie-streaming websites. 123movies being legal or illegal depends on the laws and regulations of the country from where you are accessing it.
You need to make sure that you use a reliable and secure VPN like Nord VPN, Express VPN, etc., to access 123movies to save your device from harmful malware and viruses. Or else you can go for legal and safe alternatives like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc., to watch movies and videos
