Illegal Things Internet Users Do Without Realizing

Article URL: https://clario.co/blog/illegal-things-you-do-online/

There are a lot of different things that are illegal on the internet that many people do not know are illegal. Some things are more serious than others. According to an article written by 

Andriy Slynchuk, who describes eleven different things internet users do without realizing they are illegal, it is advises using a VPN to avoid committing any illegal actions online without realizing it (2021). There are 5 of these things that are more serious than the rest, explained in no particular order. Firstly, it involves sharing personal information, including passwords and addresses of others. This could be extremely dangerous and could potentially open the door for cybercriminals or malicious activity. Secondly, using unofficial streaming services is also pretty serious. Due to the nature of them being unlicensed, not only is it illegal to view the movies or shows due to copyright reasons, but it could also be an unsafe website, which could install viruses or worms onto your device. Next is using someone’s wifi or internet network. In most US states, there aren’t many laws prohibiting it, though it can still be dangerous. Fourthly is illegal internet searches. This should be pretty self-explanatory. Some things are just not acceptable to google, such as how to build an explosive or to hire a criminal or assassin. Finally, collecting information on children under the age of 13 is illegal. Doing so, “without direct permission from the parents or guardians, violates the Children’s Protection Act” (Slynchuk, 2021). There are a lot of things that internet users do that are illegal, so it is a good idea to be smart when surfing the internet. If something seems illegal, it is best to assume it is. 

References

Slynchuk, A. (2021, June 1). 11 illegal things you unknowingly do on the internet. Clario. https://clario.co/blog/illegal-things-you-do-online/