Is IPTV Legal? This guide will answer that popular question and more.
Yes, IPTV by itself is legal. The concept of watching live television through the internet has been going on for several years now.
IPTV stands for “Internet protocol television.” In other words, streaming live TV through the internet.
What is IPTV? – Beginner’s Guide to IPTV
Vidgo, YouTube TV, fuboTV, Sling, Philo, and Pluto TV are all popular examples of watching IPTV. They can all be found within our list of Best Legal IPTV Providers.
The average household is becoming frustrated with expensive cable/satellite TV packages still offered by their Internet service providers (ISPs).
Consumers only want to watch their favorite channels without paying a fortune, and that’s why IPTV Services are becoming more popular by the day.
Many are starting to ask the same question about Kodi and other popular streaming apps that are installed by jailbreaking a firestick.
How to Install Kodi on Firestick
Continue below for our in-depth answer to the question – is IPTV legal?
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: IPTV WIRE does not own or operate any IPTV service or streaming application. We do not host or distribute any applications. We do not verify whether IPTV services or app developers carry the proper licensing. The end-user shall be solely responsible for media accessed through any device, app, addon, or service mentioned on our Website.
For 100% legal IPTV service, IPTV WIRE recommends Vidgo.
Table of Contents
Is IPTV Legal?
As mentioned previously, IPTV by itself is not illegal.
Watching live television through the Internet has been going on for the past several years, as there are thousands of providers available.
While IPTV providers like fuboTV or YouTube TV are 100% legal, there are thousands of unverified services and “preloaded” IPTV boxes that are illegal.
See our complete list of IPTV Boxes for the best legal streaming devices on the market when it comes to watching live TV.
Since we aren’t affiliated with any live TV provider, It’s very difficult for us at IPTV Wire to determine whether an IPTV service holds the proper licensing to broadcast its channels.
We dive into the legality and differences between verified and unverified IPTV providers below.
Verified IPTV Providers
Verified IPTV providers are 100% legal to install and stream content within these services.
If an IPTV service is available for installation within a trusted app store like Google, Amazon, or Apple, we can be certain it holds the proper licensing for the content they broadcast.
Some well-known verified IPTV providers include YouTube TV, Hulu, fuboTV, XUMO, Philo, Sling, Airy TV, Pluto TV, Plex Live TV, AT&T TV, Locast, and several other platforms.
The same applies to popular IPTV players such as TiviMate, IPTV Smarters, Smart IPTV, Perfect Player, XCIPTV, iMPlayer, and more.
The majority of these players are found within the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The legality of IPTV becomes a concern when unverified providers come into the picture.
Unverified IPTV Providers
Contrary to verified providers, an unverified IPTV provider is one that is not available for installation within a trusted app store (Google, Apple, Amazon).
Unverified providers require users to sideload IPTV APKs to access channels. This is usually done through a tool called the Downloader App.
These unverified services provide thousands of channels, VOD content, international options, 24/7, PPV, sports packages, and more for discounted prices.
An unverified IPTV provider will typically charge between $10-30 per month for thousands of channels and premium packages.
Therefore, when asking yourself the question is IPTV legal? it is usually the unverified providers that become the issue.
Concerns include copyright infringement, security vulnerabilities with user data, and more.
We’ve seen recent examples of these security concerns in the news:
In late 2020, the United States Congress approved a Felony Streaming Bill that classifies running or operating illegal streaming services as a felony.
This will do little to stop these unverified services because most of them operate outside of the United States.
Unverified IPTV providers aren’t owned by a credible organization so people must be extremely careful when dealing with these unknown entities.
The best line of defense when streaming from an unverified provider is to use a Virtual Private Network or VPN.
How to Protect Yourself Watching IPTV
If you decide to use an unverified IPTV provider, the best way to protect yourself is through a VPN and by registering anonymously for the IPTV service.
Using a VPN will mask your IP address so the IPTV service provider can’t personally identify you or collect your data.
It’s impossible to know what these unverified IPTV providers are doing with user data. They have been known to sell this information to third parties or even hand over data to authorities.
Running a VPN will also prevent your ISP from logging what you access through your Internet account. Without a VPN, your ISP can track everything that you access.
A VPN will make it impossible for IPTV providers, hackers, and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from tracking what you are doing online.
Overall, it is our hope that this guide answered the question of “Is IPTV Legal?”
Is IPTV Legal FAQ
Is IPTV Legal?
IPTV by itself is legal. We explain more about the legality of IPTV in this guide. It’s impossible to determine whether an IPTV service carries the proper licensing for the content that they broadcast.
What are the Best Legal IPTV Providers?
The best legal IPTV providers are YouTube TV, fuboTV, Sling, Pluto TV, and several others mentioned in this guide.
What Does IPTV Stand for?
IPTV stands for internet protocol television.
Is IPTV Safe?
This all depends on the IPTV service in question. We recommend using a VPN when streaming with free or inexpensive IPTV apps due to the fact we don’t know who develops these applications and what they are logging.
One Reply to “Is IPTV Legal? Read This Before Watching Live TV Online”