Wondering why you suddenly don’t have access to your usual illegal streaming websites? It’s because Singapore has officially blocked them. As of right now, 245 domains associated with 30 illegal streaming sites providing pirated content are blocked.
This means you now can’t stream pirated movies, TV shows (like K-dramas or anime), and live sports on sites like 123Movies, KissAsian, SoccerOnline, Stream2Watch, and DramaCool.
The block was made on behalf of Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) members: BBC Studios, Discovery Communications, LaLiga, the Premier League and TVB International.
Not the first block
This isn’t the first time Singapore has blocked illegal streaming websites. The first court order was issued in 2018 against 53 illegal streaming websites, including The Pirate Bay and Solarmovie. Thirty more illegal sites (an almost 150 associated domains) were blocked in a February 2022 injunction. The latest injunction added 99 more domains to the list.
The court orders included “dynamic site blocking” – blocking access to other domains that point to the same illegal websites. For example, DramaCool used to be accessible via alternate domains, like “dramacool.com” or “dramacool9.co”.
The order to block the websites was sent to all major ISPs, including MyRepublic, Singtel, ViewQwest, M1, and StarHub.
It’s not just piracy…
A survey by CAP revealed that 32% of 18-24 year olds access streaming piracy websites or torrent sites. Also, CAP revealed that over 20% of viewers said they’ve subscribed to legitimate services as a result of site blocking.
However, the block is more than just about piracy. A study commissioned by CAP, Time to Compromise, also revealed that illegal streaming sites were sources of malware infections. This means your PC or mobile could be hacked, giving hackers access to sensitive data like bank login details.
Visit an illegal streaming site, and you could be infected by ransomware, several trojan horses, and other Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). And it happens within just 42 seconds on a Windows PC (78 seconds for an Android device)!
Which illegal websites are blocked?
Here’s a list of the most popular websites that are now blocked by Singapore:
Sports: SportsBay, Vipboxtv, Vipstand, NowGoal, USAGoals, Stream2Watch, CricHD, SportV, ITIYU, 55Goal, SoccerOnline, OlympicStreams
Movies and dramas: 123MovieFun, MyFlixer, WatchSeries, FMovies, LookMovie, New-Movies123, 123FreeMovies, 123Movies, FlixHQ, DutaFilm, MoviesJoy, Flixtor, DramaZ, DramaCool, KissAsian, DramaSQ, GimyTV, QDrama
What’s the alternative?
If you’re a fan of Asian dramas and anime, you don’t need to stream them via illegal sites. There are many platforms these days that offer free access to certain content, including Viu, WeTV, and iQiyi. Here’s a list of legal sites to stream your favourite shows.
