Another file sharing website has reacted to the recent MegaUpload arrests and website suspension. This time Fileshare has decided to take action to clean themselves of any wrong doing by suspending accounts associated with piracy en masse.
Many users are signing in to their accounts today, only to find they’ve had their accounts suspended due to a violation of the Terms and Conditions. They’ve also shut down their rewards program, which allowed users to make money by uploading files and sharing the links with “friends and family”.
It’s unclear whether accounts involved with the rewards program are also being suspended as well.
This morning another popular file sharing site, FileSonic closed off its services, only allowing users to download files from their personal accounts.
MegaUpload was shut down on Friday morning and several people involved with the site were charged with violating piracy laws. The site was accused of costing copyright holders over $500 million in lost revenue from pirated music and other content. The shut-down came only a day after websites such as Wikipedia and Reddit shut down services in protest of proposals (SOPA/PIPA) intended to stop online piracy.
MegaUpload, which launched in 2005 and is one of the most popular “locker” services on the Internet, lets users anonymously transfer large files — and has generated $175 million in income for its operators through subscription fees or advertising.
Hacktivist collective Anonymous retaliated by taking down a number of music, film, copyright and government websites, inlcluding Universal Music and BMI (which is responsible for collecting license fees on behalf of songwriters).
