The risks and consequences of digital piracy
The Internet is great! The online world has enabled people to connect with people from across the globe, made leisure activities and shopping easier, and put virtually any entertaining activity at everyone’s immediate disposal. Altogether, these changes have been outstanding, enabling individuals to have easier access to different forms of media, which in turn promotes education and increased personal development.
However, there’s also a dark side that comes with digital resources. One of the most widespread evils is the threat of piracy. The sites and platforms sharing pirated content are essentially stolen from legitimate providers. Not only does this result in loss of revenue for the artists and staff who helped develop the work, but it is also an infringement on their intellectual property rights. Essentially, piracy sends the message that the artists’ work is of little value overall and that the legitimate payment people are owed for their work is of little concern.
However, there are also drawbacks for the users. Using sites that distribute pirated content exposes them to a significant risk of accidentally downloading malware on their computers and wreaking havoc on the entire system. Since hackers entering a computer could access private information, including personal identification numbers and dates, it’s essential to avoid such a scenario.
How to spot fraudulent websites
For those who don’t possess a lot of Internet know-how, it can be challenging to determine which sites represent a potential threat and which are legitimate and harmless. So how does one go about identifying such a platform?
If a site offers a large amount of content for a small price, that’s probably one of the first flags that should raise suspicions that all is not well. Legitimate content providers only offer products and packages for media that are within their rights. If there are any doubts, to make the right choice it’s best to visit the official website and choose from the offer outlined there.
Prices are a a good indicator: legal content is understandably more expensive than any obtained through a piracy service. After all, when someone has spent a significant amount of time working on a piece of art or media, they would be unwilling to devalue their work and sell it for a tiny price. When one purchases from a reliable source, a higher-quality product will be received. When encountering any problems, users can reach out to customer service for help – something that is entirely out of the equation in the case of illegal websites.
Cyber-security risks
Much of life has moved online. Both at work and during leisure time, people now store a lot of their personal information and documents online, on different platforms, websites and storage solutions. On one hand, this has improved accessibility and made a lot of processes more straightforward and accessible. However, there are some obvious drawbacks, mainly in the form of cyber security threats. Since more information has been stored in the cloud, hackers have taken the opportunity to gain access to private information they can later use for malicious purposes.
Unfortunately, many Internet users are unaware of the steps they should take to secure their accounts, leaving their data ripe for the picking. If personal information is leaked, it can leave a person exposed to the possibility of identity theft, a crime that’s notoriously difficult to prove and that can take a significant amount of time to solve.
And while one may take all the necessary precautions, such as using an updated browser, strong antivirus software and protecting all your accounts with solid passwords, the unexpected may still happen. If data is exposed, one can file a claim with https://www.databreachclaims.org.uk, who can help with navigating this difficult situation. Data breach events are often the result of the negligence of controllers or processors who don’t take all the necessary measures to keep private information safe. Sometimes, information infringement can be the result of human error rather than malicious intent, as some employees may unwittingly share sensitive information and create a breach in the process.
While unlike other forms of negligence, data breaches don’t often result in any physical harm, they can be rather destructive from a mental and financial standpoint. Recovering in the aftermath of an infringement event can take a while. However, if with help from expert solicitors, it’s easier to look after oneself and have the certainty that experts are on the case case and ensuring a positive outcome.
Connection to criminality
While piracy is a crime in and of itself, websites can sometimes hold unseen links to other forms of criminality. It can seem like buying or downloading pirated content is no big deal – after all, there are no actual victims, right? Research seems to point in a different direction and shows that there are sometimes connections to organised crime groups behind pirate websites. The proceedings from the downloads can be used to fund serious crime, and there’s also the risk of money laundering and fraud.
So, when thinking about getting on a piracy website to get something instead of paying the full price for it, it’s worth reconsidering as there’s a risk of becoming part of a criminal undertaking, albeit unwittingly.
Subpar products
Although it isn’t the most crucial argument against piracy, it’s important to remember that counterfeit products are typically of a lower quality than the original. The sound quality of music downloaded illegally will be lower than listening to it on a legitimate streaming service, and software from an unspecified online platform will generally lack all manner of warranty, technical support, or the necessary upgrades that properly licensed users benefit from.
Although it can seem helpful and accessible to access these websites, doing so can expose users to several different risks. Prioritising safety online is a must, which means keeping away from websites that could cause harm.
The editorial unit
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