Megaupload Fallout Continues, Filesonic Removes File Sharing

Martin Brinkmann
Jan 23, 2012
Updated • Sep 1, 2012
File Sharing, Internet
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22

Megaupload, one of the world's top file sharing and storage sites, has been taken down on request of US authorities on Thursday. Arrests have been made in various countries and assets as well as the service's websites and servers have been seized.

No files were accessible anymore on the servers after the takedown, which had serious consequences for users who used the file hosting site for just that: to host their own files.

Users looking for a Megaupload alternative can check out our quick overview of file hosting services.

The Megaupload fallout has not ended yet though, as some file sharing sites have begun to change their business model, likely to avoid the fate of the service.

When you visit Filesonic's website today you will notice an announcement on the frontpage that states:

filesonic no sharing

All sharing functionality on Filesonic is now disabled. Our service can only be used to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally

Users who try to download files see the following message instead on the Filesonic website:

filesonic no downloads

All sharing functionality on FileSonic is now disabled. Our service can only be used to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally.

If this file belongs to you, please login to download it directly from your file manager.

But FileSonic is not the only file sharing site that made changes to their business model after the Megaupload bust. Uploaded, another popular file sharing service, started to block visitors from the United States. Visitors from the United States see a blue landing page that tells them that the service is no longer available in their country.

Both file sharing companies are registered outside the United States. FileSonic operates from the Netherlands while Uploaded from Hong Kong.

Neither FileSonic nor Uploaded have released statements about the changes yet. There is no certainty that Megaupload's takedown had anything to do with the decision but the proximity of events would suggest it did.

What's going to happen next? It is likely that FileSonic will lose a good chunk of their traffic in the coming weeks. Users will move on and use other file sharing services to share files. It needs to be point out that this does not necessarily mean illegal activities. File sharing sites are ideal to share small to medium sized files with friends and family as well.

Users who have personal files on file sharing sites should consider making a backup of those files just in case. Services like Dropbox allow you to store files in the cloud, along with synchronization options and sharing.

Update: It appears that Fileserve has started to make changes as well. The file hosts affiliate program page is no longer accessible on the site, and according to Neowin, users are reporting that their accounts have been terminated. The message they receive when they log in states the following:

Unsuccessful login
Your account has been disabled due to violations of our Terms and Conditions

Update 2: File sharing service Uploadbox has announced that they will be shutting down servers. All files that they host will be deleted on January 30th.

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Comments

  1. BMWBrian said on May 1, 2012 at 8:37 pm
    Reply

    Don’t use Fileserve unless you want to remain a subscriber forever. I tried to cancel their service in January using their cancellation method to the letter. When they continued to bill my account month after month, I took it up with my bank, who told me the only thing they could do is issue me a new debit card with a new number. We did that, and somehow by means unknown to me, fileserve is still able to bill my bank account on a monthly basis. They are nothing short of crooks, and of course, contacting them is intentionally impossible.

  2. Henry said on March 7, 2012 at 12:56 pm
    Reply

    FILE sharing is so easy . i just came across TAWKLE! you should allc heck it out too . its free and unlimited

  3. Roman ShaRP said on January 27, 2012 at 9:17 am
    Reply

    There are always some removing… And reuploading :)

  4. Wupload Dead? said on January 27, 2012 at 5:28 am
    Reply

    Confirmed !

    WUPLOAD begun to remove files from their servers

    Files that were on servers 2 days ago are all gone

  5. Steve said on January 25, 2012 at 5:49 am
    Reply

    @Dave,

    Funny how every idiot thinks they speak for the rest of the world.

  6. reen_hb said on January 24, 2012 at 11:55 pm
    Reply

    not my list, but all one click hosters maintaining an affiliate program or which dont comply with DMCA are getting kind of scared.

    oron is reviewing accounts at the moment. access to the stats is suspended until the account is reviewed.

    rapidshare will awaken once more ,-)

  7. Roman ShaRP said on January 24, 2012 at 10:18 pm
    Reply

    As far as I see, some still work for freeloaders:

    LetItBit.net

    Uploaded.to

    Depositfiles.com

    Turbobit.net

    vip-file.com

    Oron.com

  8. reen_hb said on January 24, 2012 at 10:05 pm
    Reply

    MegaUpload
    Closed.

    FileServe
    Deleting multiple files. Closed affiliate program.

    FileJungle
    (Owned by FileServe) Deleting multiple files. Testing out blocking some USA IP addresses.

    UploadStation
    (Owned by FileServe) Deleting multiple files. Testing out blocking some USA IP addresses.

    FileSonic
    Sharing disabled. Closed affiliate program. Deleting files and accounts.

    VideoBB
    Closed affiliate program.

    Uploaded.to
    Banned USA IP addresses.

    FilePost
    Started suspending accounts with infringing material (doing what Hotfile did)

    VideoZer
    Closed affiliate program.

    4shared
    Deleting multiple files.

    Wupload
    Many accounts disabled.

    UPDATE:
    http://x7.to/
    All files deleted

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 24, 2012 at 11:04 pm
      Reply

      Interesting list, more to follow probably.

  9. Dave said on January 24, 2012 at 9:31 am
    Reply

    They should just cut off USA. The rest of the world is still sane. :)

  10. Bob Hart said on January 24, 2012 at 3:04 am
    Reply

    this sucks but filesonic really did have a GRIP of infringing content on it…regardless I personally hated both filesonic, megaupload, AND most of all hotfile…I used to have alot of my stuff on FS, but then their service went down to crap…then switched to hotfile, who’s servers crashed & lost ALL my files…then megaupload which omg i can’t believe what happened.

    now I have all my files on:
    http://www.peeje.com/upload

    …decent sized allowance, and it gives my users direct-links…which they love….so far, it’s been better than sonic, MU and HF COMBINED!!!

  11. pavid said on January 23, 2012 at 11:38 pm
    Reply

    In my opinion, shutting down MegaUpload in the manner done is a lot like closing a bank because some of the customers are storing illegal stuff in their safety deposit boxes and the managers knew or should have known about it. That kind of highhandedness would never fly in the U.S. There would be a huge uproar by the bank’s customers and their government wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

    The only difference between MegaUpload and the bank is that the U.S. government doesn’t care about MegaUpload’s customers and so the U.S. government seems to believe it can do whatever it wants.

    Yes, there is a problem but as in the bank scenario, don’t punish all the customers for the sake of a few.

  12. vm1990 said on January 23, 2012 at 10:04 pm
    Reply

    i personaly think anyone with files or legal content on megaupload,. filesonic, or uploaded should be allowed to bring a massive class action law suit against hollywood and the US, sue there ass to hell and back for lost profit. literally kicking hollywood in there balls, they turned a completely legal system into an illegal one see how they like being on the other end of the stick.
    the US and Hollywood are trying to get to big for there boots they need a good knocking down a few pegs so they can learn there not in contol of everything and if they do try to control everything there going to get one hell of a bloody nose doing it

  13. Nathanial said on January 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm
    Reply

    Haha.. And my FS account JUST renewed shortly before this. Joy.

    1. JohnMWhite said on January 23, 2012 at 5:52 pm
      Reply

      I’m willing to bet a lot of people are in the same boat, and will obviously not be spending money on these companies in the future – which will lead to them shedding jobs and eventually going under. Hollywood won’t make any more money than they are making already, and even if they did they would just absorb that into their shareholders. These anti-piracy measures are doing nothing positive. They won’t preserve jobs, they will destroy them. They won’t spread money more fairly to the creators of content. They won’t stop hardcore pirates who know what they are doing. It is a purely destructive war that is only causing collateral damage.

  14. Roman ShaRP said on January 23, 2012 at 12:40 pm
    Reply

    Roy, you are right.

    Before commenting this on Ghacks just read this on InfoQ, site I read for professional reasons, which usually doesn’t dip into any political campaigns:

    http://www.infoq.com/news/2012/01/sopapipa
    SOPA, PIPA – Should Engineers Care

    And the thoughts there are just like yours.

  15. Roman ShaRP said on January 23, 2012 at 12:36 pm
    Reply

    As I said, it’s like weather. It just happens. Services come and go, but activity continues.

    Famous Tim O’Reilly wrote a good post, “Before Solving a Problem, Make Sure You’ve Got the Right Problem”
    https://plus.google.com/107033731246200681024/posts/BEDukdz2B1r

    IMHO, shutdown of some selected services didn’t solve any problems. Well, they might block some illegal links or even domains, but will it convert those who just copy into customers?

    No, if you ask me. People just go for another means to do sharing they want regardless of its legality.

  16. Roy said on January 23, 2012 at 12:36 pm
    Reply

    I bet the makers of Torrent and Usenet programs are quite happy though!

    This legal battle couldn’t have come at a worse time as far as the Cloud is concerned – just as hosted Cloud storage (and sharing) is becoming more mainstream, a huge site like this being taken down will be deeply worrying for many as it implies you could suddenly lose all your own storage because of the actions of others.

    There could even be implications for ‘legitimate’ sharing sites like Flickr and Dropbox etc – not to mention services like iTunes Match which may facilitate the ‘laundering’ of pirated mp3s into high quality legal versions. Interesting to see how far the DoJ takes this.

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