123MoviesGo is a popular international free movie streaming website that offers its viewers access to new streaming entertainment from around the world at no cost. But is it safe? Is it legal? And what type of content do they offer?
Let’s see how 123MoviesGo performs in our review. We’ll discuss how trustworthy the site is and whether or not you’ll run into any trouble using the site.
Streaming on 123MoviesGo
123MoviesGo is among the most popular sites for free movie streaming. It has a ton of movies (albeit likely unlicensed).
For example, as of this writing, the following titles are available.
- Blonde (a Netflix exclusive released last weekend)
- Lou (a Netflix exclusive released this weekend)
- The Woman King (released in theaters last weekend)
- The Munsters (a Netflix exclusive released this weekend)
Like other free streaming websites, 123MoviesGo is a file sharing service that provides access to unlicensed content rather than hosting it in-house.
The website has a massive 330k monthly audience, according to VPN review site PrivacySavvy.
But is it illegal to use?
Accessing unlicensed content
As we’ve established from our favorite attorney Adam Michaels, streaming unlicensed content, while undoubtedly illegal from a sharing perspective, may not equate to a clear-cut violation of copyright restrictions for the viewer.
According to Michaels, if you watch something on a free streaming site, you may not be breaking the law – at least not currently.
“Whether it’s wrong or not, in a moral sense, is something that you can ask your friends or your minister. But whether it’s illegal from a copyright viewpoint, the best answer is, probably not on an individual basis,” says Jim Gibson, law professor and founder of the Intellectual Property Institute.
“This is because you are neither sharing copywritten content nor copying it. Downloading copywritten content is illegal because you are making a copy,” added Michaels, “however, streaming media is not because a new copy is not created.”
In this case, 123MoviesGo may argue that they are not violating copyright law either, as technically, they are not making copies of the content themselves but linking to other sites where the files are hosted.
In any case, this article should not be used as legal advice.
HD content
123MoviesGo offers free movies in 1080p by linking users to 3rd party sites that have captured HD versions of the content for online use. However, because the site doesn’t host any actual video content, 1080p isn’t guaranteed – some content is provided in 720p or 480p.
Layout and design
The layout on 123MoviesGo is very organized and straightforward. You can easily navigate through available titles and genres. The design is minimal and usually stays out of the user’s way. It only provides a search bar and category filter; overall, it feels very clean.
Ad annoyance
All things come with a cost, and 123MoviesGo is not exception. 123MoviesGo has a lot of ads and annoying pop-ups. Even their navigation menu links initiate pop-up windows for suspicious ads (while still completing the user’s request). The ads are so prevalent, in fact, just loading the site will sometimes force a redirect to another location entirely.
VPN compatibility
123MoviesGo is VPN compatible. Hence, you should be able to connect anonymously and stay safe while visiting 123MoviesGo without providing your location.
Multi-click to play
Unlike other popular paid streaming sites, 123MoviesGo requires the user to click to play a movie more than once. This is very frustrating as those clicks can also lead to more pop-ups.
Pros
- Simple and clean layout
- 1080p content
Cons
- A lot of annoying ads and pop-ups
Summary
123MoviesGo, like other free streaming websites, remains questionable from a legal standpoint but operates in a gray space that allows users to view content that is often restricted to US viewers due to licensing contracts and restrictions. And while the ads may be annoying, the abundance of new titles will likely continue to draw an audience for the foreseeable future.