It is undeniable that the entertainment industry was among those affected during the period of the previous Movement Control Order (PKP). It is because there are screenings of movies in cinemas that had to be temporarily postponed in some countries to curb the spread of infectious epidemics that hit the world.
This has resulted in a handful of us preferring to watch movies on illegal streaming platforms rather than waiting for them to be shown in movies or aired on legitimate streaming platforms. If you are one of them, you need to know it is dangerous to be involved in the crime of piracy from this illegal streaming.
Why Is It Counted As A Crime?
The process of downloading, using, streaming and distributing content from or to an unauthorized platform is categorized as a crime of piracy. This is not just limited to movies only, any activity of misusing music, book, and game content from a prohibited streaming platform or device is also considered a crime. In fact, the Malaysian government has issued a special act for this crime, namely the Copyright (Amendment) Act 2022.
This implementation is carried out to curb the crime of piracy from continuing to spread which in turn will impact the Malaysian economy and give risk to the thousands of job opportunities available.
What Are The Dangers If You Are Involved In The Crime Of Piracy?
Among the reasons these illegal streaming platforms are not safe to use is because they have the potential to download virus files to the device you are using to stream. Usually, these viruses will appear in the form of annoying floating windows or "pop-ups" and if you accidentally click, it will take you to a site that contains a virus that will damage the performance of your device.
The Time to Compromise report by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) has reported that regular users visiting this platform can be hacked by malware which in turn will pose a threat to Windows devices in just 42 seconds, and 78 seconds to your Android device. One research organization, Veri-Site, reports that 79% of pirated sites often include PUP (potentially unwanted programs) links and malware in unexpected ways.
In addition to damaging the performance of your device, these viruses are also capable of stealing your data without your consent. It will track all your movements and activities on the device to collect all your personal information. This is one of the reasons you will get strange messages or calls from unknown individuals.
Mule Check Application
In fact, the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department has also reported that they have received up to 16,000 cases of online fraud worth RM380 million. It’s not impossible that a few percent of these cases are victims of viruses that steal your data from illegal streaming platforms. That’s why you need to subscribe to a legitimate streaming platform so as not to fall into the problem of online fraud and also be fined for misusing content on the platform that violates the law.
In addition, this illegal platform can also be dangerous if you are already married because the content is more difficult to control for underage viewing. So, your kids have the potential to get access to bad content more easily.
So, How To Avoid Getting Involved With This Problem?
You are advised not to click or browse any platform that is seen as not convincing its authenticity. In fact, there are many legitimate streaming platforms that you can get at affordable prices. Among the legitimate streaming sites you can subscribe to are Astro GO, HBO GO, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, TVBAnywhere+, iQIYI and many more. In fact, if you want to subscribe to all these legitimate platforms in one bill, you can consider subscribing to the packages offered by Astro.
This is one of the ways that allows you to enjoy various types of content and at the same time access it legally as well as not get involved in the crime of piracy. Among them is subscribing to a legitimate streaming service. You can also educate your loved ones about the dangers of digital piracy so that they stay away from the crime.
If you find that there are illegal streaming platforms that are still operating widely, you can report to the authorities such as the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) at the hotline 1-800-886-800 or 03-8882 6088/6245 at the Enforcement Command Center, WhatsApp at 019-279 4317/019-848 8000, email to e-aduan@kpdnhep.gov.my, or also make a complaint through the ezAdu application.