Illegal file-sharing programmes and websites pose greater risks to your computer or mobile phone than legitimate sites. Alongside media files, users often unwittingly download viruses and spyware.
They can also inadvertently share personal computer files, containing financial information, with other users, potentially putting themselves at risk from identity theft. Also, some files are purposefully misnamed on file-sharing and peer-to-peer networks to trick people into downloading them.
Due to the way that file-sharing websites work, filtering tools that can block age-inappropriate content on websites, like pornography for example, are not always effective in blocking the same content when these illegal services are used leaving children at risk of exposure to unsuitable or harmful content. Some peer-to-peer software also lets users “chat” with other file-sharers, most of them strangers.
Your ISP can give advice about the effects of using illegal file-sharing programmes. There have been many examples of computers becoming infected with viruses, malware and spyware after people have used P2P networks for music file-sharing. Many ISPs provide software that can protect people against these risks.