Buyer beware: think hard next time you purchase a show or a movie through a digital platform like Amazon Prime Video. You’re paying to rent, not own, and the rental length is wholly dependent on the platform’s license agreement.
TikToker Cal 2.0 (@cal_cifer_2.0) blasted streaming services after discovering that purchased digital media from Amazon, Apple TV, or gaming consoles can be removed from your library without warning. The video has been viewed 2.8 million times as of publication.
“I freaking knew it! I knew it! You don’t own the digital shows and movies that you bought,” she began, referencing an article from Life Hacker about Sony removing all Discovery-branded content from their platform, regardless of whether you bought it, on Dec. 31, 2023.
“This being the same scenario on any platform where you are purchasing content, whether you are purchasing movies or seasons of shows,” Cal 2.0 continued. “All it takes is the licensing agreement from the people who actually own the rights to this media to take it back, and all of that you bought disappears.”
“And when that inevitably happens, you don’t get a refund,” she concluded.
Viewers were outraged that their purchases could be removed without their knowledge or consent.
“Seriously, if I’m spending 20+ bucks on a movie or season of a show that should be mine, no matter if the licensing agreement changes,” one wrote.
“My wall of dvd’s looks more sensible every day,” another added.
“I mean if you read the fine print, you’re not ‘buying’ it, you’re renting it to watch as many times as you want until they no longer have a license,” a third explained.
Others argued that companies removing purchased items justifies piracy.
“Just pirate it. As long as you don’t distribute it. You are entitled a copy of something you purchased,” a viewer advised.
“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me,” a second agreed.
@cal_cifer_2.0 You NEVER own it. #amazonprime #digitalmedia #lostmedia ♬ original sound – Cal 2.0
How people get their entertainment has changed drastically since streaming services became the de facto way for people to watch their favorite movies and shows. Though there is wider access to a range of options, viewers have less control over what they can and can’t watch. Streaming services regularly lose content to one another, forcing consumers to purchase more subscriptions to be able to access the content they want.
The problem has worsened as companies like Netflix bar password sharing to pad their bottom line.
Some people don’t find new reality to be a bad thing, as CNET’s Joan Solomon explained in an interview:
“Sometimes things can disappear, and privileges can disappear at a moment’s notice. The great thing about it, though, is that you have so much more access to other things without having to pay discretely for every single thing you want to listen to or watch.”
Unfortunately for streaming services, many customers don’t agree. A recent survey found that the annual turnover of subscriptions for households is 47%. An additional 29% of respondents claimed to have canceled at least one subscription service to save money. As streaming companies continue to hike up prices and stop people from sharing passwords, the press to cut down on expenses will likely force people to hop from one streaming service to another.
Perhaps it really is time to revert back to DVDs so people can actually own what they buy.
The Daily Dot reached out to Cal 2.0, PlayStation, and Amazon via email for further comment.