Is PutLocker legal and safe to use? While the topic is open for discussions, most countries consider streaming sites such as PutLocker to be breaching the copyright law. Therefore, as a user, you are subject to face consequences for breaking the law. This is the major reason that we advise our readers to attempt protecting their online privacy. While accessing PutLocker you must use a VPN and other additional tools that we will explain in this article.
Did you know that the site links to external streams? As much as PutLocker fulfills our streaming needs, it exposes its users to viruses, malware, and other security threats from the external links. Having said that, hence it makes sense why every PutLocker user needs to use a security tool while accessing the site.
What is PutLocker?
PutLocker is a website that holds a cloud directory of media files including TV Shows, Movies, and Music. The site itself does not host the content, but it gives users a way to access the files that are hosted somewhere else easily.
Originally, PutLocker was only in the UK as putlocker.com. The popularity of the site grew rapidly, and by 2012, it was averaging at around 800,000 visitors a day. The number of visitors increased to over 1.5M after their competitor was shut down due to alleged copyright violation.
Currently, the number of PutLocker users has grown to even greater numbers with it being top 250 sites visited on the internet and top 150 in the US. This has attracted a lot of attention to the site with a couple of attempts to put down the site. However, the site has been able to survive over the years by occasionally changing the URL.
The URL of the site has evolved from putlocker.bz to putlocker.is which was put down for some time and then it started working again. It then changed to putlocker.rs, and, at the time this article was written, the URL working for the site is putlocker.co.
Why PutLocker?
PutLocker popularity has grown greatly over the years, and it has become a major source of TV Shows and the newest Movies for most people. People in the UK, USA, Australia, India and the rest of the world visit the site on a daily basis. It is correct that most of PutLocker users donât realize the risks associated with accessing or in this case streaming pirated media.
The way people digested the media five years ago is different from the way itâs done today. Before, you could rent a movie from a movie shop or borrow from a friend. Today, things are different; everything is online.
One can easily stream a video on YouTube or an episode on Netflix. And in the same way, more and more content continues to be made every day.
Although streaming sites offer a solution to access media online, they come with a challenge on the pricing. Each streaming site has a subscription fee to access their content. For most people, this is usually too much especially if you only want to watch one or two shows and they opt for a cheaper alternative which is PutLocker.
Also, there are the geographical restrictions that are put in place by most of the streaming sites. This only means that if you pay for a subscription in your home country, it is only valid in that country such that as soon as you board a flight to abroad, you cannot catch your favorite show. (You can read our guide on how to bypass geo-restrictions.)
The world keeps getting smaller and smaller and more individuals are going to work, or voyaging abroad on vacation than before. What’s more is that these individuals need to have the capacity to get to their media content while they are there as opposed to depending on the limited hotel TV channels.
It is this appeal which has seen the rise of free, all-inclusive, accessible destinations which additionally stream all the popular media you can access on these membership sites. Furthermore, PutLocker stands out amongst all these sites.
Is PutLocker Legal?
According to most countries around the world, streaming movies and TV shows in the likes of 123Movies, PutLocker, Afdah or CouchTuner sites is against the law.
Many users face charges or rather get frequent copyright infraction warnings from their Internet Service Providers (ISP). In all cases, the reason that is always indicated is watching/streaming pirated content.
Therefore, whether streaming content on the PutLocker site is legal or not, mainly depends on where you reside. If you are a PutLocker user, take security precautions and use a VPN when accessing the site.
A VPN creates a tunnel that encrypt your data and fakes your real IP address. When connected to a VPN server, your activity on the Internet remain secret to both your ISP and copyright agencies. Therefore, you can watch you favorite streaming contents in total safety.
Is PutLocker Safe?
There is no straightforward answer to this question. Users view the site differently. From one feedback site, 77% of regular users totally trust the site while 72% believe the site is safe for children to use. To some people, the site is not that good but beats its competitors by far.
PutLocker can from time to time give away a number of security issues:
- Malware: Since PutLocker does not host the content it provides its users with, you cannot be sure of the safety of the files sources. While streaming content, a temporary file is downloaded on your device, and therefore Malware can be easily injected into your device.
Always check the feedback of a file and follow all important security measures before streaming it. - Mirror Sites: PutLocker has changed its URLs a couple of times. All the URLs that were used before donât work. However other people might take advantage of the old PutLocker URLs setting up malicious websites. Hackers are probably the people responsible for such actions, and they ensure that the sites are identical.
Always use the official PutLocker URL, and if it no longer works, do your research wisely. - Pop-ups: the site has a lot of adverts pop-ups. Although this is how the site generates income, the pop-ups are annoying and sometimes dangerous. Some pop-ups have been reported before because of redirecting to dubious sites, adult sites or sites have a doubtful safety.
Install a pop-up blocker to avoid this. - Forced Redirecting: some of the pop-ups have previously been reported redirecting users to external sites that are harmful.
Just like with pop-ups, use an adblocker and the usual security software. - Unnecessary Downloading: Users complained of being convinced or forced to use their downloading tool unnecessarily. Downloading PutLocker content is insecure and illegal.
Security Tools To Use With PutLocker
While you are a frequent visitor of the PutLocker site, there are some tools to boost your security, privacy, and anonymity that one needs to use. The tools have been put in place purely for your security purposes and to counter the potential threats that are associated with PutLocker. They are:
#1 VPN Connection
As noted earlier, there are legal charges and potential security threats associated with using the Putlocker site. One can counter this by using a VPN service.
A VPN or Virtual Private Network works by redirecting all the userâs internet traffic down an encrypted pathway and through an external server. This way no one can trace your IP address. On top of that, it ensures that all your traffic is kept clean and safe for your device consumption.
A VPN connection is the most important way to protect yourself while connecting to PutLocker.
BEST VPNs TO USE PUTLOCKER SAFELY
| Rank | VPN Name | Monthly Price | |
| 1. |  | $ 6.67 | Visit |
| 2. |  | $6.49 | Visit |
| 3. |  | $6.55 | Visit |
| 4. |  | $2.90 | Visit |
| 5. |  | $3.29 | Visit |
| 6. |  | $4.95 | Visit |
| 7. |  | $3.33 | Visit |
| 8. |  | $3.33 | Visit |
| 9. |  | $8.25 | Visit |
| 10. |  | $6.67 | Visit |
#2 Antivirus Software
Internets users, especially those who access sites such as PutLocker, must have a professional anti-virus software.
Accessing different sites on the internet causes a possibility of Malware and other malicious programs being installed on your PC. An anti-virus software helps you identify clean and infected files from the Internet. This way you can avoid executing infected files that could damage your device hardware or data.
It is advisable to go for a well-known anti-virus software for they have more broad databases of blacklisted content. However, which your choice is, it is crucial to ensure that your software is always up to date. Enable updates to download automatically to guarantee the best protection every time.
#3 Ad-Blocker
The largest percentage of complaints about PutLocker site is the undesired adverts. Therefore, equipping yourself with a good ad-blocker should keep the adverts to the minimal.
Some reports show that sometimes the site enforces users to disable their ad-blocker software. Although this is how the site generates income, too many adverts get annoying, and on top of that, they shouldnât enforce ad-blocker disabling.
#4 Pop-up Blocker
The biggest rate of complaints about PutLocker site is the undesired adverts like mentioned above. In this manner, outfitting yourself with a decent pop-up blocker should keep the adverts to the negligible.
Bottom Line
PutLocker is not a perfect site, but it is an incredible site with the right safety measures. You cannot afford to be ignorant by skipping all the security steps since you will be risking a big amount of money if you are caught streaming pirated movies and TV shows online.
A VPN service allows you to top up a layer of privacy and security to all your al your online undertakings. Put all your worries to rest by using one of the best VPNs we selected for you. This way you get to enjoy long hours of streaming trouble-free.
BEST VPNs TO USE PUTLOCKER SAFELY
| Rank | VPN Name | Monthly Price | |
| 1. | | $ 6.67 | Visit |
| 2. | | $6.49 | Visit |
| 3. | | $6.55 | Visit |
| 4. | | $2.90 | Visit |
| 5. | | $3.29 | Visit |
| 6. | | $4.95 | Visit |
| 7. | | $3.33 | Visit |
| 8. | | $3.33 | Visit |
| 9. | | $8.25 | Visit |
| 10. | | $6.67 | Visit |
