Top Illegal Streaming Sites in Canada and Their Risks

123Chill

123Chill attracts users with a wide selection of movies and TV shows available to stream for free. This site operates without proper licensing agreements, often hosting the latest content shortly after its official release, which breaches copyright laws. Users should be cautious, as the site is full of invasive ads and potential security risks, including malware and phishing attempts.

123Movies

123Movies is a cost-free movie and television viewing site based in Vietnam, where it’s also technically legal. However, as a file-sharing platform, 123Movies is notorious for being a distribution site for viruses and malware. The site is illegal in the United States and other countries because the original content being shared via their site is not licensed to be viewed there.

1HD

1HD offers high-definition streaming of popular films and television series — but it does so without the consent of copyright holders. This exposes users to legal actions and cyber threats. The platform is known for its extensive library, but the illegal nature of its content could pose significant risks to users’ privacy and security.

5movies

5movies provides free access to a wide range of movies and TV series. It appears legitimate because of its user-friendly navigation and an extensive catalog. However, like many free streaming sites, it operates without owning rights to the media it offers, making it a hotbed for copyright infringement issues and a target for legal crackdowns.

Afdah

Afdah is a web scraper that indexes movies from online libraries, offering users a large selection of movies without legal permission. While the site appears safe due to its straightforward interface and broad selection of movies, streaming on Afdah is illegal. Users often encounter numerous pop-up ads that can lead to malicious sites.

Area 51

Area 51 is an IPTV app that makes illegal content available to users. The app has faced legal trouble from Netflix-, Disney-, the Hollywood-driven MPAA, and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global anti-piracy group. In addition to the illegality of some of Area 51’s offerings, users have been exposed to hacks, malware, and other online threats.

AZMovies

AZMovies stands out for its extensive collection of movies, from classic to current releases. The site offers high-quality streams but does not possess distribution rights, making all content essentially pirated. Users should be aware of the potential legal consequences and security risks from malware that often accompany such sites.

Chitram TV

Chitram TV is an IPTV that specializes in TV streaming. Specifically, it illegally streams Indian TV channels and TV content outside of India. In December 2021, Chitram TV was ordered to pay DISH Network $31 million for piracy and copyright infringement.

FlixTor

Like many illegal streaming platforms, FlixTor does not own the rights to distribute movies, documentaries, and television shows on its site. Because of this, it has been shut down many times, and its future is in doubt. Not only might FlixTor site operators face legal scrutiny, but anyone who streams content from FlixTor puts themselves at risk from a privacy and security standpoint.

FMovies

FMovies is another site that should definitely be avoided based on its hosting of illegally obtained content, including TV shows and movies. The site launched in 2016 and has been sued and switched domains to avoid being blocked multiple times over the years. As with many other piracy sites, annoying ads, broken links that lead you to other questionable sites, and suggestions to download that ultimately result in malware infecting your device are all common.

HiMovies

HiMovies is known for its vast selection of movies and TV series available in various resolutions. While it allows users to stream content without owning rights, the platform’s illegal status subjects viewers to potential copyright infringement risks associated with unauthorized streaming.

iStreamitAll

iStreamitAll was one of the largest piracy sites in the U.S. before it was shut down. The creator of iStreamitAll was recently handed a 57-month prison sentence and $1 million fine for the following:

• Money laundering
• Conspiracy to commit copyright infringement
• Criminal copyright infringement by distributing a copyrighted work being prepared for commercial distribution
• Misdemeanor criminal copyright infringement by public performance
• Misdemeanor copyright infringement

Kodi

Kodi is a highly versatile app that can turn just about any connected device into a streaming hub. While it has many impressive features—it can support just about any audio or video file format, and once installed, users can use it to access any files stored on a device from another device—and it’s not in and of itself illegal, there are many Kodi add-ons that allow users to engage in illegal streaming. While Kodi is legal, using it to watch unauthorized and copyrighted content may open users up to a variety of risks, including malware that could be installed on or, in other ways, interfere with your device. The add-on developers who offer the content open themselves up to legal risks as well.

LookMovie

LookMovie offers users the latest movies and TV shows but does so illegally. It is frequently targeted by copyright holders and law enforcement for providing content without authorization, posing a risk of legal troubles and cybersecurity threats from ads that may contain malware.

LosMovies

LosMovies provides a platform where users can stream movies and TV shows in different languages with a wide range of subtitle options. However, it streams content without owning the necessary rights, leading to potential copyright infringement issues and exposing users to various online threats.

MediaBox HD

MediaBox HD is a website and an iOS and Android app that allow users access to a vast collection of TV series and online movies made available via torrenting or other direct sources, even legal sources like Netflix. The catch? Mediabox HD doesn’t always own the rights or have authorization to the content it provides for streaming or downloading.

Mobdro

Mobdro is one of many internet apps seeking to take advantage of free streaming content while looking the other way when it comes to legality. While Mobdro itself is not illegal — it enables users to crawl for free streams on the internet and then capture and categorize them for later viewing — any time a user watches copyrighted content they haven’t paid to access via the app, that action is illegal. For now, Mobdro seems to be operating in a legal gray area — especially since their disclaimer specifically aims to place all responsibility for content on the user. For users who access copyrighted material on their streaming devices, however, the gray area is much more black and white, i.e. clearly illegal. The site has even been pursued criminally.

Movies Found Online

Movies Found Online is a website that curates free movies, independent films, TV shows, and stand-up comedy videos. The content is completely free to watch but not always legal, as it aggregates videos from various sources that may not have distribution rights. The site includes a variety of genres and unique content that isn’t always found on mainstream platforms, making it attractive for viewers searching for offbeat entertainment. The legality of streaming content from this website depends on the sources from which it has been obtained.

Moviesjoy

Free and illegal streaming site Moviesjoy offers pirated streaming content for free to users who watch ads in exchange for content. It is illegal for Moviesjoy, as well as any other illegal platform, to stream content that is not licensed. Thus, it is illegal to view, the content on Moviesjoy isn’t always secure. Ads on Moviesjoy often come from low-budget ad networks that promote bad information and misleading content to viewers.

Nufu TV

Nufu TV is a website that illegally streams movies, TV shows, and live channels. While it appears legitimate because it claims to offer high-quality, commercial-free streams for a weekly or annual fee, it offers pirated content, which can expose users to potential malware risks through intrusive ads. We recommend choosing a legal streaming source that offers content via a secure website, app, or other type of platform.

Putlocker

Putlocker originally started back in 2011 in the UK, but the site has gone through various iterations over the years. Being a well-known piracy brand, these various site iterations have been seized and/or blocked in numerous countries. How does Putlocker work? Putlocker is both a streaming site for movies and TV shows and an online index. At least one Putlocker user has been convicted of violating federal copyright law.

Roja Directa

Roja Directa (also known as Rojadirecta) has long been one of the most frequented sports streaming sites on the internet. However, it has been embroiled in legal battles for years regarding links to live sports events provided on its platform that were not authorized. Streamers looking for live sports content have plenty of other options, including traditional television outlets and streaming services like fuboTV, Sling TV, ESPN+, and others.

SFlix

SFlix presents a wide array of movies and TV shows to viewers for free without acquiring the necessary distribution rights, making all its content unauthorized. The platform is frequently taken down and reestablished under various URLs, indicating its precarious legal status.

SolarMovie.Pe

SolarMovie.Pe lets users stream films and TV series at no cost, but the content is unlicensed and illegal. The site’s interface is user-friendly and attracts a large user base, which is problematic given the potential legal implications and high risk of encountering malicious software.

Some IPTV Services

IPTV, or Internet Protocol Television, is television content delivered over IP networks, as opposed to cable, satellite, or radio waves. Using IPTV can be done legally when watching free-to-air (FTA) content or paid subscription services like Max or Apple TV. However, using IPTV to stream illegal content is still illegal and unsafe, as it can put your data and devices at risk.

Soap2day

Another common illegal streamer is soap2day.rs, which offers streaming of illegally obtained materials without any registration. The platform, despite its main issues over time, has been a fan favorite for many users. In 2020, the site was delisted from Google, with many speculating that it was a result of their persistent copyright infringement. When using soap2day, you’ll be subject to frequent pop-ups that range from irrelevant to explicit.

StreamM4u

StreamM4u offers a broad selection of movies and TV series across various genres, all available for free streaming. However, the platform does not legally acquire the content it hosts, leading to frequent domain changes to evade copyright actions. Users should be cautious of potential malware and legal risks associated with accessing the site.

Streamango

A once-heavily trafficked and free torrent site, Streamango was shut down (along with Openload) in 2019 due to piracy and copyright infringement. A lawsuit brought against Streamango by the MPA, ACE, and other international companies resulted in the termination of the site and a sizable settlement.

StreamLord

StreamLord provides an easy-to-use platform for streaming movies and series but without the necessary copyrights. The site’s minimalistic design is popular among users, but it operates in a legal grey area, frequently hosting content that breaches copyright laws, which could lead to potential legal issues and expose users to malware and other security risks.

The Pirate Bay

A peer-to-peer file-sharing site that uses the BitTorrent protocol, The Pirate Bay (TPB) is an index of online content. Since its inception in 2003, it has been shut down many times and has faced plenty of legal trouble. In fact, the founders have all served jail time for copyright infringement. Today, The Pirate Bay is still in operation.

TinyZone

TinyZone streams a vast library of movies and TV series without proper licensing, drawing in users with its high-quality content and user-friendly interface. While the site offers streaming in HD, it operates illegally, which could lead to potential copyright infringements and expose users to security vulnerabilities.

TorHD

TorHD provides free access to HD movie torrents, making it a go-to site for movie enthusiasts looking for sharp visuals. However, as a torrent site, it does not ensure content legality or safety, exposing users to potential copyright disputes and risks of malware from downloaded files.

uTorrent

uTorrent is a free file-sharing software program used to download very large files. It is part of BitTorrent’s portfolio. While using uTorrent (and torrenting in general) is legal, any torrenting of unauthorized copyrighted material via uTorrent is illegal. Because internet service providers (ISPs) and copyright trolls routinely monitor peer-to-peer file-sharing sites like uTorrent, any copyrighted material that is shared could result in litigation. Also, while uTorrent is not a virus in and of itself, it has been a distribution source for malware, crypto mining software, and invasive advertisement, so it can have negative effects on users’ computers and other devices.

VexMovies

VexMovies is known for offering streams with minimal ad interruptions, featuring a selection of movies in HD quality. Despite its clean interface, the site operates without content rights, which places it in violation of copyright laws, posing risks to users who may face legal issues.

VidCloud

VidCloud hosts a range of video content from TV shows and movies to anime. However, the site does not typically host content legally, often linking to streams and downloads that violate copyright laws. Users should be cautious of malware and intrusive ads, which are common on such platforms.

Vumoo

Vumoo functions as a search engine for illegal and pirated content. Many users access the files they receive from Vumoo via a virtual private network (VPN), which routes the user’s internet activity through an encrypted connection that keeps others from seeing their online behavior. While a VPN may offer Vumoo users some protection from litigation, even the best VPN can’t protect against viruses and malware, which can affect Vumoo users.

WatchFree

WatchFree is another site that streams content without authorization, risking copyright infringement lawsuits and exposing users to potential malware embedded in intrusive advertisements.

Yes!Movies

Yes!Movies provides users with a wide variety of films and series from around the globe, accessible without a subscription. While it offers content for free, it does so illegally, which could lead to significant legal troubles for the platform and its users.

Yidio

Yidio is a streaming guide service that helps users find TV shows and movies available online. It aggregates content from various subscription-based video streaming providers, allowing users to manage their subscriptions and discover new content. However, Yidio itself does not host any content directly — it simply directs users to where they can legally watch the shows or movies, which can vary in legality based on the provider.

Yify TV

Yify TV offers online streaming of a vast selection of movies for free. The site is known for its high-quality torrents of the latest movies, but it operates in a legal gray area. While Yify torrents are popular for their quality, they are typically unauthorized copies, making downloading these files a breach of copyright laws in many regions.

Ymovies

Ymovies offers a wide selection of movies and TV shows without requiring registration or payment. However, like many similar platforms, it does not own the rights to the content it provides, leading to potential copyright infringement and exposing users to security risks like malware and phishing.

YoMovies

YoMovies specializes in Bollywood and Hollywood films available for free streaming. Despite its popularity, the site operates without the rights to the content it streams, leading to legal issues and potential risks from malware and other online threats.