Following the Megaupload’s shut down by U.S. authorities, more file-sharing sites, including FileSonic and now FileServe, are shutting down their services to limit potential fallout.
Megaupload was a popular file locker service that allowed users to upload files and share them with other users. The FBI pulled the plug on the Megaupload website last week when seven of the company’s top personnel were charged with conspiracy. The 72-page indictment claims that Megaupload willfully distributed pirated movies and other copyright-infringing content.
Filesonic has disabled its sharing services entirely, potentially reducing its exposure to legal risk. The content hosted by FileSonic is no longer generally accessible to download. Users can only download files that they have uploaded themselves. Moreover Filesonic is taking down accounts that violates policies.
FileServe is the latest high profile file-sharing site to effectively pull the plug on its own service, by disallowing all downloads except those “that you have uploaded personally”.
File sharing site upload.to has blocked access to US users.
We doubt FileSonic, Fileserve and Uploaded.to to be the last to retreat. More and more file sharing sites will be taking drastic measures to mitigate future potential effects.