Is Kodi legal and Safe to Use? Today, we will answer this burning question by discussing the legality and safety of Kodi and its Add-ons. We also share a few tips on how to stay away from legal problems while streaming on Kodi.
Kodi is a popular free and open-source media player software application. There are two reasons for its popularity.
The first one is because it supports multiple operating systems and hardware platforms including Androids, Windows, FireSticks, iOS, and many others.
The last but not least significant reason is that this app can host an infinite number of Addons. This gives you the option to choose thousands of Kodi Add-ons that can stream varieties of video content.
But recently there has been a lot of ongoing debates about the legality of Kodi. This is because there are lots of Kodi Addons that offer many free contents. These contents can be subject to copyright. Hence, you might be thinking about whether you can get entangled in legal issues if you stream content on Kodi.
This post is written to discuss this topic in detail and to give you some valuable tips that you should follow while streaming on Kodi.
Learn How to Install & Use ExpressVPN on FireStick
Is Kodi Legal?
Kodi as an app is legal. Kodi is available in the official Playstore for Android, FireStick, Windows, and iOS devices (Google PlayStore, Amazon Appstore, Microsoft Store, and iOS Store). It is to be noted that only legal apps are listed in the official PlayStores.
Kodi Addons can be either installed from the official Kodi repository or third-party sources. While Add-ons installed from the official Repository are legal, the Add-ons installed from third-party sources work in a grey area.
It is difficult to find out whether these Add-ons are streaming free copyrighted content by violating copyright rules. If this is the case, you are likely to face legal troubles. That’s why you should always stream content on public domains if you are using third-party add-ons.
Almost every country including the USA, UK, Canada, India, etc. have similar laws in case of streaming pirated copyright content. Although some countries are more strict than others in this regard, you are likely to face legal issues in almost every country if you are found guilty.
Is Kodi Safe to Use?
I have scanned Kodi with Antivirus and found out that it has no malware or virus whatsoever. Hence, it is a safe app.
But if you want to know whether it is safe to stream content from Kodi legally, we have discussed this thing in the previous section. Unless you break any copyright rules or don’t upload any pirated content, Kodi is safe to use for streaming.
Can You get in Trouble for using Kodi Addons?
If you are using Add-ons that you have installed from the official Kodi repository, you don’t have to worry about legal troubles. But if you are streaming content from third-party add-ons, you have to be a little careful.
If you are streaming content from an add-on that claims to offer you free copyrighted content, it is likely to be in violation of copyright rules. In such cases, you can get into legal issues.
It is justified if you are using third-party add-ons because of the limited number of Addons that are offered by the official Kodi repository. But in that case, you have to be very careful about what you are streaming.
Make sure you stream content from public domains only. And also connect to a VPN always to stay protected by hiding your IP address.
Why use a VPN while streaming on Kodi?
Your IP address may be tracked by various parties, including Govt., Internet Service Providers, and streaming service providers. This way they are able to track all your online activities. Hence, it poses a threat as you get exposed to malware, online scammers, trackers, and hackers.
Kodi users are easy victims. It’s because Kodi is an open-source app and anyone can develop Add-ons compatible with Kodi and that includes hackers and scammers too. So, to avoid such scenarios, you should use a VPN while streaming content on Kodi.
A VPN ensures that your IP address is hidden from others and gives you privacy and online security. It also removes geo-restrictions that may otherwise restrict you to watch certain content. I suggest using a trustworthy VPN like ExpressVPN while streaming content on Kodi.
Learn How to Install & Use ExpressVPN on FireStick
How to use/connect to a VPN while streaming on Kodi?
Using a VPN or rather connecting to it while streaming on Kodi is easy. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Select your preferred VPN.
2. Install the latest VPN application that is compatible with your device.
3. Open the VPN application. Choose any preferred server/country and then connect to it.
4. Launch Kodi and start streaming.
It’s that easy. In case your device doesn’t support VPN, you can also set it up on your WiFi Router. Nowadays, there are many VPN providers including ExpressVPN that offer WiFi routers pre-configured with VPN.
Learn How to Install & Use ExpressVPN on FireStick
Summing Up — Is Kodi legal and safe to use
From this post, we have learned that Kodi is a legal app. If you are streaming content from Kodi Addons that are hosted by the official Kodi repository, then you don’t have to worry a bit.
But streaming content from unverified Add-ons that claims to offer free copyrighted content can be illegal. Any type of illegal activity from your end like uploading pirated content can lead to moderate to harsh punishments as per your country’s law.
I don’t support streaming content that breaches copyright rules. I will recommend connecting to a VPN at all times while streaming on Kodi. Also, make sure that you don’t stream content that is not from public domains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get in trouble for streaming on Kodi?
If you stream pirated content or free copyrighted content from unverified sources, you could get in trouble and face legal issues.
Is Kodi safe from hackers?
No, Kodi being an open multimedia source is not exactly safe from potential hackers as your online activities can be easily tracked. That’s why you should always connect to a VPN server while streaming on Kodi.
How do I keep Kodi safe?
To keep Kodi safe, use a trustworthy VPN such as ExpressVPN and make sure you stream content from public domains only.
Hi, I am Alyssa! I am a tech enthusiast and a blogger. I have been using Kodi and FireStick since 2016. I wanted to share my latest tech discoveries and knowledge with the World, which led me to start this blog in 2021. I post in-depth how-to guides for FireStick devices & Kodi in a way that is easy to understand for people of all ages. Thanks for stopping by!
