MegaUpload substitutes show spikes in traffic since shutdown
People have flocked to other file-swapping sites since MegaUpload was shut down and became entangled in a criminal copyright case.
Despite a major government crackdown on cyberlocker service MegaUpload last week, people haven't stopped using file-hosting sites, according to TorrentFreak.
They're simply migrating to similar sites.
MegaUpload was one of the most popular video destinations on the Web, with 50 million users per day. According to data from TorrentFreak, since MegaUpload's shutdown, millions more people are racking up time on sites like Filefactory, Depositfiles, Hotfile.com, and other Internet locker services.
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department and FBI shut down MegaUpload and announced indictments against seven people on charges related to online piracy, including racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to commit copyright infringement, and conspiring to commit money laundering. The suspects face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
A spokesman for 4Shared, a cyberlocker twice the size of MegaUpload, told TorrentFreak that although the case against MegaUpload is concerning he is not worried about 4Shared being in jeopardy.
"This case has a great negative impact on file storage services and the Internet overall," the spokesman told TorrentFreak, adding that, "4shared has some of the most strict house rules among all other file storage services and there's no need for any changes."
TorrentFreak used data from traffic measurement sites to calculate the interchange of users from MegaUpload to other file-swapping sites. Besides Filefactory, Depositfiles, and Hotfile.com, smaller sites like Filepost.com, Hulkshare.com, and Uploading.com, have also seen spikes in traffic.