Are peer-to-peer file sharing programs like Limewire and Bearshare safe to use?
ANot really. For one, when someone uses such a program to download and share copyrighted music and video, they are breaking the law. Also, these programs usually come bundled with spyware and adware. And just because a file is named “popularsong.mp3” doesn’t mean that it is actually that song. Anyone can name a virus-infected file “popularsong.mp3” and offer it for download. In other words, it is very, very common for people to unwittingly download viruses and malware to their computers when they think that they’re only downloading music. I see this all the time! If you don’t understand why it is a bad idea to download an mp3 that is named after a popular song, but is only 25 kb in size, you should not use a file sharing program. If you don’t understand what that last sentence means, you definitely should not use a file sharing program. You will almost certainly download malware to your computer.
