Let's talk the risks of digital piracy with Internet Matters - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

When you can’t access the TV shows or films you’d like to watch it can be tempting to illegally stream them online - but doing so could introduce your family to a dark corner of the web involving viruses, disturbing pop-ups and unexpected pornographic content. Though Digital online piracy is often recognised through dodgy websites and Kodi boxes, it can also occur through any number of apps on mobiles or tablets. Internet Matters would like to hear your thoughts on digital piracy and the associated risks for your children, and how you would speak to your children about digital piracy.

Here’s what Carolyn Bunting, CEO of Internet Matters has to say: “We’re concerned that millions of parents don’t realise the amount of inappropriate, even pornographic, content children can find or stumble upon unexpectedly when watching TV and video content that is streamed illegally online. This issue has been growing for some time and we want to try and address the problem and highlight the risks parents are unknowingly taking when their children use open source media players, like Kodi boxes, to stream content illegally.”

Perhaps you’re completely in the dark about digital piracy? Perhaps you think the risks are worth it? Are you concerned about your child accidentally or even intentionally accessing illegal or even inappropriate content while watching cartoons, kids shows and films through open source media players? We’re interested in getting your thoughts about digital piracy and any tips you have for other parents speaking to their children about it so that they understand the risks.

All who post below will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

My children are only little and I do worry about digital piracy. We don't watch any illegal content and don't have a kodi box, etc. I am also cautious with you tube and will only show them the official peppa channel on the tv so they can't wonder off and following 'suggested links' on their own. My niece is much older (12) and seems to have a good handle on staying safe online and so I hope this is something that schools will help us to teach our children about.

Apart from warnings on viruses, spam, etc. I'd talk about the artists. We know quite a few musicians just starting out who would really suffer if people just copied their work.

In my view parents are responsible for the upbringing and safety of their own children. It is not the schools responsibility. They can only reinforce the messages.

Most things are easily accessible at short notice now and there is an expectation that there will be a lower cost. Sky packages can cost a fortune. Some people will always gravitate to the cheaper option regardless of it is then viewed as illegal. I'm sure we all remember pirate videos/dvd's/CD's. I think that it is very naive to think that this wouldn't happen with the streaming of music, films etc.

Parental controls to limit content until they are old enough

I think with digital piracy can massively impact on a childhood - once something horrid or inappropriate has been seen it cannot be unseen. I have settings on my modem to filter most things. I think ISP's should improve their software to filter pirate sites, sensor UTube which in my eyes it the biggest culprit and should undergo much more scrutiny and filtering of hate/violence/piracy and terrorism. I also feel it should be on the curriculum, and children should be made aware of the negatives as well as positives of the magnificent benefits of the glorious WWW.

I think that the pirated films is in direct correlation to the whole online aspect of so many films these days. It is important to show how the film industry makes its money, and I think we should scrap the BBC License fee, and show children that you don't need to pay for what you don't use, but need to pay to support the things you do use!

The quality is much better, the sound is much better, the film runs its true course, nobody stands up to wander out of the cinema etc. I think if a film is worth watching, then it is worth watching properly and legally.

I ultimately think we should have an online lending library (a little like blockbusters of old) where we can rent films for a very short time, but without the money going to one of the big companies 'Sky' or 'Virign' etc.

I am completely in the dark about this and would have no idea how to download a film - either legally or illegally! Sorry, I'm a real dinosaur.

I have always tried to teach my children right from wrong and would hope that when they are old enough & savvy enough to do these things, that they would know better.

Will put it on my list of discussions to have with them!

We've had a discussion about the moral implications - music and film.
My child is getting to the age where he goes to his friends house to watch a film and I can't control what friends' parents download illegally.
This film hadn't even been on in the cinema yet!

They cover this at my DDs' school as part of their online safety stuff. They also do sessions for parents every so often.

Even when my sons playing games on my phone ads pop up and he managed to spend money on one of the games on hubbys phone without realising. I think it’s something that we'll have to teach him about when he’s older and understands better but for now we’ve said if anything pops up it’s and advert and to press the cross. So far that works!

We haven't talked about it yet, but I'm aware that my daughter is now accessing the internet herself (to play games on the CBeebies website/watch Disney videos on YouTube mainly) and we really ought to do some thinking about conversations we need to have, and whether our parental controls are tight enough.

To be honest, I've not really thought about this aspect of the internet before. Hmm, I'd better have an overdue chat about this tomorrow.

I have a friend who is a police officer, he has already talked to my children about the dangers of social media, when they are a little bit older he will talk to them about piracy :)

I've spoken to the DC about downloading from any suspicious websites. I don't really understand streaming and I'd be worried about downloading viruses and any other dodgy content. I think it's harder when the dc get older though, as you can't keep an eye on them all the time.

Piracy has always been about, I remember my adult cousins renting out videos from Blockbusters, setting up their two VHS players to record them, and selling them for £3 a pop.
Of course, despite that being a tad naughty, there weren't the inherent risks there are today.
My kids only use the computer in our front room, and until they are old enough to know how to avoid the online pitfalls, thats how it will stay. I wouldn't know where to start to download films lol, and the last time I illegally downloaded something it was from Limewire back in 2006 and it destroyed my PC, After that I reckoned it wasn't worth the risk.

My laptop is kept in my dining room so any games my DS plays are within my sight. I know the time will come when he wants to play with his friends, I have already installed MACAFEE antivirus and within my BT account have ticked all of the filter settings. I am sure that the ability to download or stream content, either before it is shown or for free would be tempting, but it is wrong, and you cannot be sure what viruses you may download with it - and as I use my laptop for internet banking and hold many precious documents - the risks are not worth it. Children should be made aware of the consequences of illegal downloading and streaming, from parents and via school, as I feel the more content which is available the more sophisticated methods for viewing content will be available I'm sure.

A convo I need to have but as there are settings with sky lot is blocked

In the economy we're in who can blame anyone for pirating movies/shows?
It's a ridiculous sum for the cinema and the restrictions on tv shows is insane. When we have an internet that connects people all around the world in an instant but can't get a tv show for over a year after it's release people are going to turn to other sources. When there's 3 movies a month released that a kid wants to see and tickets are £10+ each they can't afford to keep going. Plus with all the streaming sites out these days fighting for shows/movies/original releases you have to have a subscription to them all to keep up and people just can't afford that.

I think honesty with kids plays a massive part. They need to understand the ins and outs of digital piracy and potentially the risks they could be confronted with if they got involved in such an awful illegal crime.

Do not download of random unknown websites they only bring viruses, better to be safe then sorry and lose all your data!

I think it's too easily accepted by a lot of people. But then I do think the huge amounts of money some artists make does make some people think they don't need it all. Wouldn't know how to do it myself, I'm too rubbish with a computer and in all honesty I don't consume much in the way of music or films at all, I have too many other hobbies to bother.

I would never knowingly watch pirated material but in an increasingly digital age it can be harder to know what’s what. Lucas is only interested in YouTube (he has access to just the kids version) and Minecraft (played in creative mode only). Tablet time is always when we’re in the room too so we can keep a check on what he’s watching.

I am mostly in the dark about it. My DS is young enough he only watches with someone else but it is something I need to know more about as he gets older.

DS was always fascinated by computers and so from an early age I read up on - and warned him - about things he should not try to do and why it was wrong. As he got older all I could do was remind him that I never wanted anything pirated on our computer - even if it was just a copy of something a friend had pirated. I think there will be a huge problem in the future if individual companies insist on separate subscriptions - I think that will increase the problems to a new level.

I think that children should be educated at school. The internet is such a huge part of life these days and there has been nothing introduced into schools to reflect that. But ultimately it's down to the parents to talk to their children and monitor it. I do see why teenagers would download things. The cinema is so expensive and if their friends have all seen the latest popular movie they will want to be involved. Cinemas should be more affordable xx