After ExtraTorrent.cc announced its permanent closure, many pirates have sorted to creative means to share copyright contents for free. And this time, they have targeted the social media giant Facebook.
According to the Sun, hundreds of Facebook "Events" are used to spread links that allegedly allow downloads of movies like Fast and Furious 8, Despicable Me 3, Pitch Perfect 3, and Saw Legacy and games such as Tekken 7 and FarPoint.
Most of the events were made early last week and are scheduled to disappear before June. Although these Facebook events contained "magnet" links that will allow people to download torrent files, their authenticity could not be verified.
Some users revealed that they were asked to download a password and complete a survey before gaining file access. Many also voiced concerns that the link could contain malicious materials that will lure victims to download viruses or malware.
But while most of the events are still up, Facebook said it will investigate the matter.
Facebook has appeared to be used as a workaround for pirates to share links of copyrighted materials. This allows torrent sites not only to appear higher in Google's search and share link with ease but also to target younger audience.
Meanwhile, ExtraTorrent has reportedly been revived by a group of "uploaders and admins" who claimed to be associated with the original site.
"We have successfully resurrected it back to its glory at extratorrent.cd with all available data," the group said in an email to The Inquirer. "It's live and new data is continuously being updated."
The group also revealed that the sudden closure of the ExtraTorrent site was caused by "pressure from authorities."
"We were in deep shock and have been working hard to get it back online with all previous data," the group said, adding that "these sites are our home and we won't let anyone destroy them."