Is 123Movies Safe and Legal? Everything You Need to Know

In this post, I’ll examine whether 123Movies is safe and legal, discuss the site’s working and defunct domains, and provide free legal alternatives. The site works on browser-supported devices like FireStick, PC, Mac, and Android.

What is 123Movies?

123Movies is a free streaming website for movies and TV shows.

The original platform gained popularity between 2015 and 2018, becoming a top third-party online streaming platform. However, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPA) shut down the site for piracy.

However, other developers created clones and mirror sites using the 123Movies brand. You will find over five 123Movies domains to stream movies and TV shows.

Like most unlicensed streaming sites, 123Movies relies on advertisements for revenue. You will encounter various forms of ads, including display ads, pop-ups, and redirects.

The site is compatible with a variety of streaming devices, including FireStick and PC.

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123Movies Domains

There are many 123Movies domains. These include mirror sites and copycats riding on the 123Movies brand.

Legal Disclaimer: This tutorial is purely educational. FireStickTricks.com doesn’t own, host, operate, resell, or distribute any streaming apps, addons, websites, IPTV or services. The page contains some unverified services, and we are not certain whether they hold legal licenses to distribute the content. FireStickTricks.com does not verify the legality of each app/service in all regions. Do your due diligence if you use any of the unverified apps/services, and stream only content that is available in the public domain. The end-user shall be solely responsible for the media accessed.

Here are some of the working 123Movies domains:

123movieses.com
ww17.0123movie.net
123moviefree.info
123moviescom.net
ww4.123moviesfree.net
123moviesgems.com

The following 123Movies sites are defunct:

123movies.com
123movies-hd.com
123movies-web.com
123movies-hd.online
123movies-go.dev
www1.123movies9.me

Most defunct 123Movies domains have been taken down in response to a DMCA complaint. Therefore, the safety and legality of even the working domains are questionable.

Is 123Movies Safe?

Unverified streaming sites raise safety concerns because their data security and privacy infrastructure cannot be verified. Hackers use such sites to distribute malicious files and software that may harm devices.

I scanned five working 123Movies domains on VirusTotal to test for malware. Below are screenshots showing the results.

123movieses.com- No security vendor flagged the site as malicious

123moviefree.info – 1 security vendor flagged the site as malicious

ww17.0123movie.net – 1 security vendor flagged the site as malicious

123moviescom.net – No security vendor flagged the site as malicious

123moviesgems.com – No security vendor flagged the site as malicious

Is 123Movies Legal?

The original 123Movies domain was shut down following legal battles with the MPA. Other sites that emerged in the following years were also removed in response to DMCA complaints to Google.

Therefore, it is highly possible that 123Movies is illegal. The working domains continue to offer hundreds of movies and TV shows for free, some of which might be unlicensed. The sites claim they don’t host these files on the platform, but that isn’t enough reason to give them legal status.

FireStickTricks.com can’t verify the legal status of all 123Movies domains. We don’t have the resources to determine that because it depends on factors like licenses and agreements, content sources, and country laws.

However, we don’t condone illegal streaming or copyright infringement. We urge you to use 123Movies only to stream content in the public domain.

That said, take caution when streaming on 123Movies or other unverified websites. Use a trustworthy VPN to protect your data and privacy. The VPN shields your IP address, hides your streaming history, and helps unblock 123Movies in geo-restricted areas.

I always use and recommend ExpressVPN. It is the fastest and safest VPN. ExpressVPN offers a 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. You also get a 61% discount and 4 free months on the 2-year plan.

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Free Legal Alternatives of 123Movies

The following are 123Movies alternatives that are 100% legal and free:

1. Freevee

Prime Video’s Freevee is the free version of the premium streaming site from Amazon.

It was previously known as IMDb TV and features a vast library of free movies and TV shows.

You can watch Freevee on any browser-supported device, from FireStick and PC to Android TV and mobile devices.

2. Tubi

Tubi is inarguably one of the best legal platforms to stream free VOD content.

The vast library includes movies, TV shows, documentaries, and anime.

The best part about Tubi is that you can access it on the browser and in the app.

The app is compatible with popular streaming devices like FireStick, Roku, AppleTV 4k, and Smart TVs.

3. Pluto TV

Pluto TV is a streaming platform from Paramount Global. It is free to stream but with ads.

It is known for free live TV channels and a decent library of on-demand content.

You’ll find many movies on the site, from hit movies to timeless classics.

As for TV shows, you can watch complete seasons of popular series, reality TV, and documentaries.

4. Plex

Another great 123Movies alternative is Plex. Like Pluto TV and Tubi, Plex offers free movies, TV shows, and live TV.

You will not get into any legal issues while streaming from Plex, as all the content provided is licensed.

You can watch Plex on your browser, through the app, and on Kodi for supported devices like FireStick.

5. YouTube

YouTube is the second most visited website after Google. That is why it has become a top platform for filmmakers and movie lovers.

YouTube offers many legal options for watching free movies and TV shows.

You can search titles on the general search bar or explore the Movies & TV section.

FAQs

Do I need a VPN for 123Movies?

Using a VPN is not mandatory but highly recommended with unverified streaming sites like 123Movies. I always use ExpressVPN on all my devices.

Which 123Movies domain is the safest?

123Movies domains often go offline for legal reasons, allowing copycat sites to mushroom that may contain harmful software and files. Always scan the domain URL on VirusTotal to check if it’s safe. As of this writing, the safest 123Movies domain is 123movieses.com.

Can I watch 123Movies on FireStick?

Yes, you can watch 123Movies on FireStick using the Silk browser. Open Amazon Silk and type your preferred 123Movies domain in the search bar. The site will load, and you can begin streaming movies and TV shows.

Conclusion

While 123Movies provides a way to stream free movies and TV shows, it raises serious safety and legal concerns. VirusTotal security vendors gave a green light to some of the domains, but most of them had suspicious files in the URL.

123Movies’ legality is ambiguous. The sites claim legality by not hosting files on their servers. However, DMCA takedowns on several 123Movies domains point to the illegal distribution of copyrighted content.

The best approach is to use safe and legal 123Movies alternatives. What do you think of 123Movies? Let us know in the comments section.

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Legal Disclaimer - FireStickTricks.com does not verify the legality or security of any add-ons, apps or services mentioned on this site. Also, we do not promote, host or link to copyright-protected streams. We highly discourage piracy and strictly advise our readers to avoid it at all costs. Any mention of free streaming on our site is purely meant for copyright-free content that is available in the Public domain. Read our full disclaimer.