TECHNOLOGY
Abandoned Popcorn Time apps had to be disabled to prevent a zombie army
The VergeFriday, October 23, 2026 at 7:35 PM
RedScroll Brief
Remember Popcorn Time, the app that served as an easy-to-use front end for streaming torrents of movies and TV shows? Development of the MPAA's least-favorite app of the 2010s has been abandoned for years, but the "Netflix of Piracy" software is still installed on millions of…
RedScroll Signal
- Impact
- High
- Category
- Technology
- Market relevance
- Moderate
- Why it matters
- Technology shifts change how people work, communicate, and build — often faster than policy can follow. Remember Popcorn Time, the app that served as an easy-to-use front end for streaming torrents of movies and TV shows? Development of the MPAA's least-favorite app of the 2010s has been abandoned for years, but the "Netflix of Piracy" software is still installed on millions of… Secondary effects may show up in markets and supply chains linked to Abandoned Popcorn Time and Technology.
Desk copy
RedScroll Briefing
Extractive editorial brief — not a reprint of the original
What happened
Remember Popcorn Time, the app that served as an easy-to-use front end for streaming torrents of movies and TV shows? Development of the MPAA's least-favorite app of the 2010s has been abandoned for years, but the "Netflix of Piracy" software is still installed on millions of…
Why it matters
Technology shifts change how people work, communicate, and build — often faster than policy can follow.
Background
The Verge reported on this under technology. RedScroll surfaces the signal with an extractive brief — not a reprint of the original article. Read the source for full reporting.
Timeline
The Verge published: Abandoned Popcorn Time apps had to be disabled to prevent a zombie army
Story is in today’s RedScroll edition. Follow the original source for updates.
Economic impact
Secondary effects may show up in markets and supply chains linked to Abandoned Popcorn Time and Technology.
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Source
The Verge
Original reporting by The Verge. RedScroll provides an extractive briefing only.