With Netflix raising its prices recently, a lot of people have been turning to alternative streaming sites. Unfortunately, there aren’t many legitimate streaming sites out there.
Though you can easily find some free, and cheaper options, they might be operating illegally due to copyright, and piracy concerns.
In addition, many illegitimate sites are riddled with malware, including adware and potentially dangerous viruses.
Having said that, it’s not always easy to find out if a platform is legal or not.
In this guide, I will tell you what to look for when choosing a streaming site. Not only will it help you identify and avoid illegitimate platforms but will ensure a great streaming experience everytime.
The short version: Sure signs of illegitimate sites include poor web design, excessive pop ups and redirects, forced downloads, and weird URLs. Read on for the full list!
13 Signs That Your Streaming Site Isn’t Legit
1. Poor Website Design and Layout
The first red flag is a poor website design and layout. A legitimate streaming site like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video will have a great layout, a modern interface, and an excellent user experience.
It will simply look professional.
An unprofessional appearance, on the other hand, shows that the site’s owners couldn’t care enough to make the site work for its users.
That’s especially true if there are additional UX (user design) problems, such as broken links and missing pages, like titles that don’t work or menu items that don’t actually lead anywhere.
That could be a sign that the site is actually a front for malware. Clicking on links on the site or worse, downloading movies, could lead to malware being downloaded to your computer.
Many scammers bundle movie downloads with secret spyware, adware, or viruses. When you download the movie, you might be unaware that you are actually downloading a keylogger or some other malware.
Also Read: Penalty For Watching Illegal Streams
2. Excessive Pop Up Ads and Redirects
The second red flag is the presence of intrusive advertisements. Random pop ups, redirects, and flashing ads are common on spammy, illegitimate streaming sites.
They are especially prevalent on free streaming sites that display pirated content. These ads are how they make money; nothing is free.
Remember, if you are not paying for something, then you are not the customer; rather, you are the product.
Most of the time, these intrusive ads are harmless. However, sometimes, clicking on them can lead you to a website that contains malware.
Another common tactic is forcing frequent redirects to unrelated websites, like the one shown below. For example, a lot of illegitimate streaming sites will automatically redirect you to a spammy landing page when you try to search for a movie using the search bar.
They are programmed so that when you click on the search bar, attempting to type a search term for a film, you get redirected. You then have to close the page you were redirected to, and only then can you use the search bar.
Again, most of the time, these redirects are harmless. However, you may be redirected to a site that contains malware, so why risk it?
Definitely don’t click on any of the links on the page you were redirected to, as it may start downloading malware to your device.
Even if the ads and redirects are harmless, they are absolutely annoying to deal with. In addition, they may be NSFW (Not Safe For Work).
For example, it may contain pornography, including automatically playing videos. Therefore, you may not be able to watch your movies with your family, in front of kids, or while taking public transit.
3. Requests for Personal Information
Another red flag is requesting personal information when not necessary. This may be in the guise of unnecessary registration requirements.
For example, a legitimate site like Netflix requires only basic information to sign up. You just need to enter your email, create a password, and enter your payment details.
Other legitimate streaming sites may request additional information, such as your first and last name.
However, be wary of suspicious requests for sensitive data. A site might ask your address for billing purposes, for example.
However, there is no reason for it to ask for your social security number. It definitely does not need that.
It also doesn’t need your birthdate or other sensitive details that could be used to steal your identity.
Unfortunately, scammers often create legitimate-looking sites that are actually traps for stealing personal information.
The site may even look professional in an attempt to convince you that it is legitimate. However, if it is requiring sensitive details, do not divulge them.
4. Lack of a Secure Connection
Nowadays, pretty much all legitimate sites are encrypted. In the older days of the internet, it was not uncommon for legitimate websites to use the standard, unsecured HTTP protocol.
The HTTP protocol is simply a protocol for displaying web pages over the internet.
Now, however, most sites use HTTPS, which is the secure version of the HTTP protocol.
If there is no HTTPS encryption, it doesn’t automatically mean the site is illegitimate, but it should raise concern. That is especially true if it requires payment, and the payment page is also not secure.
Always stay away from unsecured payment processing pages. Do NOT enter your payment details on a site that doesn’t have HTTPS encryption, as you are basically sending your credit card details over the internet without any security.
In other words, a hacker can intercept the information you are sending to the web server and steal your credit card details. There is nothing stopping them from reading that data.
If the site is encrypted, on the other hand, the data is scrambled. Even if an attacker were to intercept the traffic, it would be useless in its encrypted form.
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5. No Clear Content Licensing Information
Another red flag is an absence of copyright notices and clear licensing information in general.
Netflix, for example, is clear about its licensing rights.
That is why certain movies and TV series are released in some countries or regions but not other. It’s because Netflix just doesn’t have the rights to display the content in those countries.
It’s also the reason certain titles are only available for a limited time. Have you ever opened Netflix and looked at a film, only to see a notice that it will no longer be available on Netflix after a certain date?
That’s because Netflix’s rights to the title will expire at that date, and it will no longer be able to legally show it.
If there is no mention of content partnerships or agreements anywhere on the site, not even in the fine print, it could be a sign that the content is pirated.
There’s no mention of a content partnership because there isn’t any. The site doesn’t actually have the rights to stream those movies.
Also Read: Best Justwatch Alternatives
6. Too-Good-to-Be-True Offers
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich, Pexels
Another thing that should stop you and give you cause for concern is if the site has offers that are just too good to be true.
Unreasonably low prices is the first red flag to look out for. That includes free streaming sites.
Free access to premium content (content that you would otherwise have to pay for on legitimate sites like Amazon) doesn’t really make financial sense.
Remember, it costs a lot of money to license content and acquire the rights to stream it. It’s no simple matter.
If a site is only charging $1/month but displaying all the content that Netflix and Hulu does and even more, how can it possibly afford all those content rights? Most likely, it didn’t actually acquire the rights and is pirating the content.
And, if it isn’t charging you anything, you have to ask yourself why as well.
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7. Inconsistent Video Quality
Photo by cottonbro studio, Pexels
A legitimate site will offer good streaming quality. Poorly constructed sites, on the other hand, tend to suffer from poor streaming quality.
Frequent buffering issues are common. It’s a sign the site wasn’t designed well, and the owners aren’t really concerned with creating a great user experience.
Of course, it could be that your internet connection is slow. However, if you can stream YouTube videos or Netflix movies without any buffering, and you only experience buffering and connectivity issues on that site, the problem is with the site, not your connection.
Pirating sites aren’t usually too concerned with offering a quality product.
They know that as long as they offer pirated content for free, people will flock to the site to watch it. People will use the site even if the UX is horrible, they have to deal with multiple ads, and the site and content load slowly.
Lots of people will go to great lengths to get out of paying for something, and those site owners know that. Therefore, they cut costs in any way possible to increase their profits.
Check Out: ReelGood vs Justwatch
8. Limited or No Customer Support
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko, Pexels
Another way these sites cut costs is by not offering customer support.
No contact information is a sure red flag. It could mean that the site owners do not want to be contacted and wish to remain anonymous.
Sometimes, there will be a contact form or email, but nobody will monitor it.
Unresponsive customer service is another sign of an illegitimate site. Nobody actually cares to reply, as the contact page is just for show.
If the site is charging you a subscription fee, a lack of customer support is even more of a red flag, because some of that money should be going to funding a customer support team.
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9. Negative User Reviews and Feedback
Before paying for any site, check the user reviews. If there are consistent issues cropping up in the reviews, there’s likely a reason for that.
If a site consistently gets poor ratings, it probably offers a horrible experience. Here are some issues to look out for in particular:
- Complaints about malware or scams: If there are multiple complaints about malware, viruses, or scams, be wary. Those complaints aren’t coming out of thin air. It could be hard to prove that the malware on those people’s devices came from the streaming site, but it’s a good reason to stay away.
- Billing issues: Look out for people saying that they suddenly noticed unauthorized charges on their credit cards after signing up or that they were unable to cancel their subscriptions.
- Poor reputation among users: If a site has a poor overall rating on sites like the BBB or Trustpilot, investigate further to find out why.
10. Unfamiliar Domain Names
Unfamiliar domain names could also be a warning sign. Illegitimate sites tend to use unusual or suspicious website addresses.
In particular, what you’re likely to find frequently is websites with weird top-level domains, such as .to, .xyz, .ru, or .tf.
In addition, a common characteristic of pirating sites is frequent domain changes. This usually happens because sites get shut down, either by governments or hosting providers, due to the illegal streaming and copyright infringements.
For example, let’s take a look at a popular pirating site, Soap2day. The name itself is kind of odd, which should make you hesitate for a second.
Another thing that should raise alarm is how often this site has changed domain addresses. I can’t keep track of how many domains it has.
For example, when you go to ssoap2day.to (note the double s), all you will see is a button that leads to the “new Soap2day.” When you click on that button, you are taken to another page with a message that the new domain is soap2day.tf.
This is nothing new. Sites like 123Movies have many domain names, and it’s hard to tell which ones are authentic mirror sites or copycat sites created by entirely different owners.
Mirror sites are sites that mirror the original site, usually created in case the original site gets taken down.
Here are some examples of the different 123Movies domains I’ve seen:
- 123movies.to
- 123moviesz.org
- ww2.123moviesfree.net
- 123movies.com.pk
- 123-movies.boats
- w0.123movie.ltd
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11. No Terms of Service or Privacy Policy
A legitimate site will contain some sort of legal documentation (like Hulu’s subscriber agreement) and fine print. These may be labeled as terms of service, privacy policy, service agreement, or the like.
An absence of legal documentation can mean that the site isn’t legal in the first place and thus doesn’t care at all. A legitimate site abiding by the law will have a clear privacy policy, telling you which data it collects and how it uses that data.
Incomplete or vague policies are also a red flag. It could mean that the site is harvesting your data in one way or another, and those vague policies just mean that you’re essentially agreeing to allow it to do whatever it wants with your data.
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12. Presence of Pirated Content
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko, Pexels
This can be a hard one to pinpoint, but you should look out for it.
Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material counts as online piracy. It can be hard to know if a site is distributing pirated content without authorization, but there are some clear signs that indicate it is.
If the content is paid on every other site but free on this one, it’s a sure sign that it is pirated. For example, if YouTube Movies and Amazon Video is selling or renting the movie for a few dollars, but this site is offering it for free, something is off.
If all the content on the site is free, it probably has no legitimate content sources and is just stealing the content.
If the site is showing movies and series that aren’t even available on Netflix or other streaming sites like Hulu or YouTube (or they’re only unavailable in your country), it probably does not have permission to show that content.
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13. Invasive Software Downloads
Finally, be wary of a site that requires invasive software downloads.
It’s one thing to have an app that you can download to watch movies. Netflix has a mobile app, for example, but it does have a website where you can watch content as well without downloading any software.
The same goes for YouTube and Hulu. In fact, most major streaming services provide an online web-based version.
Required downloads to access content should raise concern. Even if it’s an app, watch out for other downloads that may be bundled together with it.
Earlier in the article, I talked about bundled malware when downloading movies and videos from streaming sites. The same applies to software.
You might think that you are just downloading the app, but together with the app, you might be downloading:
- Adware: Software that shows unwanted popups and ads on your computer
- Pharming software: This code causes your browser to redirect to suspicious websites when you enter familiar sites URLs
- Bloatware: Unwanted apps you don’t need
- Other malware: Ransomware, spyware, or other viruses
Watch out for suspicious software installations, such as unknown apps suddenly appearing on your phone or desktop, after downloading a streaming app.
Also, note that legitimate streaming sites will have apps available from official sources, mainly the Google and Apple play stores. If the app is not available on those stores, it could be because the site provides pirated content and is thus not allowed on the official app stores.
Also Read: Android TV vs Roku
Conclusion
Illegitimate streaming sites might help you save some money, but you stand exposed to potential malware and viruses.
For a safe and seamless streaming experience, always confide in authorized and legal platforms. Even if it requires you to spend a few bucks, don’t hesitate!
