Is Putlocker Safe and Legal to Use (2024)?
Putlocker is the online heaven for streamers who like to watch premium TV shows and movies for free. You might just find one of the latest movies on this platform, but before you start watching, you may want to know: Is Putlocker safe, and can you use it without getting into legal issues?
The Best VPNs for Putlocker
Today we’re answering one important question is Putlocker is legal or not and how you can use the site with a VPN. Whilst the matter is open for discussion, many countries consider sites like Putlocker to be in breach of copyright law and users can therefore face repercussions. For that reason, users are advised to take steps to protect their online privacy and hide their identity when using the service.
Stream Putlocker movies in complete anonymity with these VPNs:
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- NordVPN – Our top pick for Putlocker, NordVPN confounds all snooping and surveillance efforts with the most impressive array of VPN features on the market. Perfect for secure Putlocker streams.
- Surfshark – The antidote to crappy free VPNs, this provider offers premium protection at an affordable price. Includes pop-up blocking and anti-malware.
- ExpressVPN – Your go-to choice for top VPN speeds and buffer-free streaming.
As the site links to external streams there is a chance of users falling victim to viruses, malware, and other security threats from those links. Users should therefore also take sensible online security steps when using the site.
The most important and effective online privacy and security tool we would recommend all readers to employ when using Putlocker is a VPN, which can hide your online identity and protect you from security threats by encrypting your online data.
Editor's Pick December 2024
What is Putlocker?
Putlocker is just like a search engine. Instead of any online content, it focuses on videos, especially TV shows and movies. Technically speaking, it’s a cloud or online directory of video files that people host on different servers all over the world.
When you look for a particular movie, TV show, music video, etc., the Putlocker search engine scours the world wide web for the best and high-quality results that host that content. If Putlocker finds the content, it helps you watch the movie on its web player from that remote third-party server.
In the past, the Google search engine was also used to fetch publicly hosted media files. But it has stopped doing so since the enforcement of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
The Putlocker URL has changed many times due to several copyright strikes enforced by courts in Europe. Movies and TV show producers from Australia and USA also used several technical strategies to block Putlocker’s URL.
Why is Putlocker Useful?
Primarily people use Putlocker to watch movies for free. A few other vital reasons are:
- It has 23,000+ movies or TV shows indexed from third-party servers.
- This indexing library has content that ranges from the 1960s to today.
- It regularly updates its library to index newly uploaded content.
- Putlocker has indexed the content as genres like Action, Science Fiction, Top IMDB, and so on.
- Its web player is responsive and easy to use.
Putlocker offers many benefits for free. Still, users always have a question in their mind, “is Putlocker safe and legal?” The question is popular in countries where governments strictly follow content copyright laws.
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For other users, who perhaps only want to watch things occasionally, or are just obsessive about one or two shows, it seems like rather a rip-off to have to shell out the full subscription fee when you only want to access one or two Netflix shows.
Then there are the geographic restrictions that are put on these services, which means if you are a subscriber in one country, you cannot access any content as soon as you cross the border into another country.
The world is getting smaller and smaller and more people are traveling for work as the pandemic comes to an end, or traveling abroad on holiday than ever before. And these people want to be able to access their media content while they are there rather than rely on the limited hotel TV offerings.
Is Putlocker Illegal?
At first glance, this looks to be a simple yes or no question.But actually, it is a far more complicated question to answer than that.
Many countries, such as the USA, UK, and the EU, and therefore ISPs within those countries, do consider Putlocker to be a site that is in breach of copyright law. It is not unusual for ISPs to send out copyright infringement notices to users who have watched movies and TV shows on Putlocker. However, I have never heard of any stronger legal action being taken.
This is probably because of the way in which users watch media on Putlocker. If you are taking in a movie via Putlocker, you are streaming content that is hosted elsewhere rather than downloading content onto your device. In the eyes of the law in the USA, Europe, and many other countries, this is a crucial difference.
This is because the US Copyright Office has been clear in its guidance that if a reproduction cannot be copied, perceived, or communicated, then no legal violation has occurred. The laws in the EU have a similar definition, although current cases involving the Kodi media player and its add-ons have muddied the water there a little.
But most legal experts would say that under the current law in the USA and the EU, streaming content cannot leave the person watching it in breach of the law. The person who uploaded the file is the one responsible for it and therefore in breach of copyright law. The question of whether the site itself is in breach of the law is also debatable, but many courts have ruled against Putlocker on this point.
Having said that, it is important to inject a word of caution at this juncture. Because streaming content is not as simple as just watching it on a website. In some cases, online streaming can create a temporary file on the user’s computer.
These temporary files are contentious and another area where the law in the USA and the EU are yet to reach a consensus. Some courts have ruled that these files constitute a download and therefore leaves a user in breach of copyright laws. Others have disagreed.
All of which means there is no definitive answer to this question. Whether Putlocker is legal or illegal depends very much on where you are in the world and what you are doing on the site.
If you are streaming content and can be sure that files are not being stored on your device, you are most likely not breaking the law. But if you are downloading, uploading, or sharing content from the site, most courts of law will probably conclude that you are.
Is Putlocker Safe to Visit and Stream?
Watching movies and videos on Putlocker may look tempting, but it’s not safe for average internet users. The streaming data might travel through unencrypted network channels, and hackers could inject malicious codes through this stream.
If any loss occurs using unknown servers via Putlocker, you can’t hold them responsible since there are no agreements (another reason to use a VPN). And, there are many more risks outlined below:
Malware
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, it is important to talk about Malware. Putlocker itself does not host the content that users are watching and therefore cannot be 100% certain about the safety of the files being watched.
As we noted above, even if you are just streaming a film, it is possible that it may download temporary files onto your device and it is therefore also possible that malware and other malicious content could be transmitted as well.
Users are advised to look at content feedback on the page and take all the usual steps to protect themselves from such threats, as we shall discuss in a little more detail below.
Mirror Sites and Pop-ups
Since Putlocker is always on the run from law institutions, they replace banned URLs with new ones. Fraudsters utilize this opportunity to mimic the Putlocker site to trap you. You might donate on such fraudulent websites thinking it’s Putlocker. The hackers will save your payment method in the back-end and charge your card for thousands of dollars.
Moreover, when Putlocker streams video content on its web player, the content hosting server delivers malicious codes through that player. When you click on the web player, full-screen or tiny pop-ups will show up to display fake alerts. Fraudulent technical support agencies spam average internet users or senior citizens through such pop-ups. When you click on any of these web pages you fall into a trap.
Unwarranted Downloads
You might be somewhat safe if you only stream movies. But, you may face issues if you try to download a movie. Since Putlocker only provides you the content from unknown third parties, you never know whether you’re downloading any malware with the movie. Upon execution of the downloaded file, you may unknowingly install spyware or ransomware that steals your credit card details or locks your computer to get money from you as a ransom.
Security Tools to use with Putlocker
If you’re from a region that permits watching copy-protected content from Putlocker, or you just want to use it anyways, follow some basic rules to encrypt your identity from the internet. Also, try not to download content from Putlocker to keep yourself clean should there be any legal issues.
You can try the following:
1. Use a Reliable VPN Service
Ensure you use a trusted and reliable VPN service when accessing free movies and TV shows streaming sites like Putlocker. The best VPN services encrypt all the incoming and outgoing traffic from your computer so hackers, fraudsters, or other agencies can’t trace the signal back to you.
VPNs also connect you to Putlocker from a foreign high-speed server so that you can access the site even if it’s not available in your region.
Consumer data-sniffing sites also utilize Putlocker-like platforms to steal your private data. Don’t be surprised to see ads related to your recent activities online just after visiting Putlocker. If you want to stay away from such annoyances, you must use VPN.
2. Use a Robust Antivirus Software
You need to use updated antivirus software to battle spyware, trojans, and ransomware when using Putlocker.
3. Install an Anti-Malware Tool
Accidental downloads from Putlocker increase the likelihood of malware infection in your computer. Thus, you also require an anti-malware tool that works.
4. Install an Ad Blocker for Web Browser
Sometimes, the third-party servers on Putlocker bombard your browser with pop-ups, fullscreen HTML pages, and unpleasant ads. You can block many of them if you use any of these 10 best free ad blockers.
5. Don’t Stream Using Mobile Browsers
Fraud technical support agencies and scammers target smartphone users through surprise pop-ups. The reason is, maneuvering these randomly popping-up elements from a mobile phone is a challenging task.
If you tap on any of such pop-ups, you run the risk of compromising your private information like credit cards, debit cards, mobile numbers, etc., to the fraudsters.
Moreover, hackers inject phishing tools through these pop-ups and take control of your phone’s internal storage. Thus, if you have any highly private or confidential files on your phone, you can face extortion.
Comparison Of The Best VPNs To Use Putlocker Safely
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- Netflix,
- Disney+,
- Amazon Prime,
- iPlayer,
- YouTube,
- Hulu
- Netflix,
- Disney+,
- Amazon Prime,
- iPlayer,
- YouTube,
- Hulu
- Netflix,
- Disney+,
- Amazon Prime,
- iPlayer
Use Putlocker Safely with a VPN
As you have seen, there are potential security and legal implications of using Putlocker. But with a VPN running, both of these risks can effectively be mitigated.
A VPN or Virtual Private Network works by redirecting all the user’s internet traffic down an encrypted pathway and through an external server.
By ensuring all of your online data is encrypted, users can be confident that hackers and other prying eyes are not going to be able to access it. Everything you do online is encoded and therefore meaningless to anyone who does intercept it. It is a crucial security measure and increasingly becoming standard practice for all internet users.
Passing the data through another server is also important because it hides the information about where the data has come from. If you connect to a site directly, that site can see the IP address of your internet connection. This means that it can tell exactly where you are and anything you do online can be traced back to you. This is important if there are potential legal repercussions as is sometimes the case with Putlocker.
But if your data passes through another server it assumes the IP address of that server. This makes it all but impossible for sites to trace your internet activity back to you. They can see it came from the VPN server, but where it came from before then is hidden.
Similarly, your ISP can see that you are connected to the VPN server, but not where your data goes after that. This means that VPN users are effectively anonymous online, which is a distinct bonus when using Putlocker.
1. NordVPN
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- Fast and stable connections
- Zero leaks: IP/DNS/WebRTC
- Based in Panama
- 24/7 Chat Support
- Some servers can be unreliable
- Apps can sometime be slow to connect
NordVPN is perhaps the most trusted name in the VPN industry, and for good reason. They’ve essentially set the standard by which all other providers are measured in terms of server capacity, encryption strength, and cybersecurity extras. It (almost) goes without saying, but if you’re worried about ISP spying or copyright trolls throwing the book at you for using Putlocker, NordVPN will make you much, much safer from any liability.
When you connect to one of NordVPN’s 5,200+ servers (located across 60 countries), your VPN automatically establishes a secure tunnel via one of several protocols (usually OpenVPN). Then, NordVPN shrouds that tunnel with an unbreakable wall of cryptography in the form of 256-bit AES encryption. Together, these factors completely block snoops out of your activity online.
What’s more, NordVPN’s network has plenty of power and delivers outstanding speeds for buffer-free Putlocker streams. And, they maintain a strict no-logging policy, so your VPN will never fink on you.
Read our full NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark
- Unblock 15 international Netflix libraries, including the US and Japan
- Unblock Netflix on any server, no more picking and choosing
- Accepts cryptocurrency payments for enhanced anonymity
- Zero logging policy ensures your activity can’t be used against you
- 24/7 live chat ensures maximum uptime
- Server network is not nearly as expansive as major competitors
- Apps may be too simplistic for power users
Normally, you want to go for a VPN provider which has been around awhile to establish a trustworthy reputation. But every now and then, a new provider comes out with a feature set that wows the privacy community. This time, it’s Surfshark, and they’re supremely capable of enabling anonymous Putlocker streaming anywhere in the world.
For one, the service is basically built to demolish geoblocks and thwart surveillance. Surfshark uses the NSA-approved 256-AES-GCM cryptographic cipher in combination with OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and WireGuard to produce some of the most secure VPN connections in the business. On top of that, every sever (of which there are 800+ total) can activate obfuscation to evade more sophisticated censorship efforts.
Surfshark boasts great network speeds, due to their modernized RAM-only infrastructure. This has the added benefit of continuously wiping all sensitive user metadata, lending some serious credibility to Surfshark’s “strictly never” logging policy.
3. ExpressVPN
- Unblocking Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime
- Superfast servers (minimal speed loss)
- Supports ALL devices
- Strict no-logging policy
- Live chat support available
- Month-to-month plan has high cost
There are a lot of VPN providers on the market and many of them offer excellent service. But there is one provider which is, for my money, head and shoulders above the rest. And that is ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the most long-standing, best-known, and highly regarded VPN providers on the market today. And this is not just a coincidence because they offer perhaps the best service around, especially for users who like to stream or downloaded media content from sites like Putlocker.
As far as security and privacy are concerned, there isn’t a single VPN provider around who can beat them. Their entire network is SSL secured with 256-bit encryption, which is as good as it gets. And as far as privacy is concerned, their location in the British Virgin Islands means that they can offer a guaranteed no logs policy that users can trust.
Connection speeds are vital if you want to stream online media and some VPNs can slow connections to the point where video content becomes unwatchable. Not so ExpressVPN. Their connection speeds are as fast and consistent as they come and impressively, this seems to be the case no matter which of their servers you choose to connect to. They have a huge network spanning 3,000+ servers in 94 countries worldwide, which is a factor in their service being available to users in pretty much every major country on the map.
ExpressVPN offers dedicated apps available for iOS and Android devices as well as being available across a wide range of other platforms.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
Conclusion
The answer to this million-dollar question, “is Putlocker safe?” is simple! It depends on your country of residence and your intentions. Remember that Putlocker doesn’t host any of the videos you watch on this platform. It’s merely routing you in the right direction.
So, the third-party servers you visit may contain illegally sourced content or malicious tools that can affect you adversely. Therefore, try to source your entertainment content from the legal alternatives of Putlocker and support the creators’ community so that they can serve you better.
If you need a VPN for a short while when traveling for example, you can get our top ranked VPN free of charge. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will need to pay for the subscription, that’s a fact, but it allows full access for 30 days and then you cancel for a full refund. Their no-questions-asked cancellation policy lives up to its name.
I agree ExpressVPN is prob the best VPN to use when it comes to streaming. It’s a bit pricier but totally worth it.
great blog, sums up every thing, ivacy is offering same service i guess.