Facebook now blocks all links to The Pirate Bay

Arrr, you can no longer share links to The Pirate Bay on Facebook.

“Your post couldn’t be shared, because this link goes against our Community Standards,” reads Facebook’s notification, which pops up when users attempt to share a link to The Pirate Bay. The ban extends to Facebook Messenger as well.

According to TorrentFreak, which first noticed the update, The Pirate Bay wasn't blocked from Facebook just a few weeks ago, even though the social media company was cracking downon other torrenting sites.

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Torrents are not illegal. People can use them to share any type of content with other users. But with its legal troubles and reputation as a place to trade copyrighted TV shows and movies, it makes sense that Facebook wouldn't want any connection to the site.

Ten years ago, while The Pirate Bay was on trial for copyright infringement, Facebook requestedthat its “Share” button be removed from the torrent site.

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The Pirate Bay didn’t remove the buttons, and Facebook blocked links to the site’s torrents. Eventually, Facebook dropped the ban.

This time around, the social network isn't just blocking torrents; it has banned the entire site, even The Pirate Bay’s homepage.

So, 15 years after the site launched and 10 years after a highly covered trial, why is Facebook blocking The Pirate Bay now?

With the use of torrents in decline in recent years, the move might have appeared to come out of left field. However, with the rise of Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Now and upcoming services like Disney+, torrents are making a bit of a comeback.

Paying for all of those streaming services adds up, and studies have foundpeople are increasingly turning back to free torrents to watch popular movies and TV shows

With The Pirate Bay blocked, it seems Facebook is trying to get ahead of all the pirates setting sail again.