Piracy is everywhere – from the high seas all the way down to your mobile device. While the definition of piracy changes as technology evolves, one thing is for sure: it will always be dangerous.
Some think that piracy is just a matter of getting apps and files that chumps choose to pay for. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Behind those cool “free” apps, music, and movies are unseen dangers that you might not notice. Below is a list of ways pirated software can harm your device.
You can’t update your pirated product.
The $0.99 you pay for an app is a small price to pay for years of usage. By legally downloading the original app, you get unlimited access to future updates that are compatible with your phone. However, this is not the case for illegally downloaded products.
When you update your phone to the latest OS, your pirated app may no longer work. This is because these apps disable the FireWall rules that prevent your app from working with a new OS. This might not seem like such a big deal because you can just download a more compatible pirated app. However, these pirated apps may not be fully tested to run with your new OS, thus leaving you with more problems.
You become more vulnerable to attacks.
When you skip the app store and head straight for the pirated app, you may not know that you’re also inviting malware into your phone. Ransomware and Trojans can secretly corrupt your data and render your phone useless. Aside from that, these viruses can also access your phone without your permission. This allows the viruses to send out personal information, which can help hackers track you down and illegally use your information.
You can get sued.
Piracy is an issue of copyright infringement. When you use a pirated mobile app, you’re violating the copyright of the original product. This gives the original developers every right to sue every person or company who benefits from the counterfeit app. Developers who work hard to create their software actually go after people who misuse it. When they do pinpoint you, be ready to fight a legal battle over an app you refused to pay for.
Digital products may not be tangible objects, but they’re still worthwhile to use. Developers spent time and money to create these digital products for users like you. You owe it to them to either legally purchase their products or at least use the legal means to download it!
