You may not know what your children are watching online.

  • On many pirate sites, there are explicit ads for pornographic websites that might expose your child to graphic content.
  • Many children visit pirate websites to access content their parents will not allow in their home, such as R-rated films and pornography. The most commonly downloaded media online is pornography.

By visiting an illegal site, you or your child may open your entire household to risks.

  • One out of every three pirate websites expose visitors to malware that can lead to identity theft.
  • Torrent networks – the most common form of online piracy – expose your computer to the risks of malware and identity theft. They can also compromise the security of your entire network.
  • The major internet service providers (ISPs) recently launched a monitoring program – the Copyright Alert System (CAS) – to notify customers when their internet accounts are being used to download or upload illegal content. Repeated violations can result in significantly reduced speed and limited access to websites.

It’s not always easy to know which websites are legitimate.

  • Many pirate sites look completely legitimate and are difficult for a child – or even a parent or teacher – to distinguish from legitimate sites.
  • 58 percent of individuals who found pirated movies and television shows online for the first time did so through innocent internet searches.
  • ReelGood is a search service that will show you where to find any specific movie or TV show. The service is a great way to find legal content online and an easy way to figure out if the website you’re using is legitimate or not.