The turning point came in March 2018. Following a criminal investigation by Vietnamese authorities (where the operators were believed to be based), the original 123movies site announced its shutdown. This was a significant victory for copyright enforcement, as it was a voluntary shutdown by the developers rather than just a domain seizure. A message on the site read: "We've been providing links to movies and shows for years. Now it's time to say goodbye."
Due to its illegal nature, the original site was designated the "most popular illegal site in the world" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) before it was officially shut down in following a criminal investigation. The Current Status of 123Movies 123movies online free
Unlike Netflix or Disney+, pirate sites have no privacy policy. They sell your data, browsing history, and IP address to third-party data brokers. That "free" movie might cost you your personal privacy. The turning point came in March 2018