8

If I have a website that contains paid videos and I want to prevent authorized / unauthorized users from downloading the video, we can make it as difficult as we can but we still cannot 100% prevent stealing videos.

A user still can record screen using many existing apps, I thought about it too much and looked for anything I can do to prevent it but as I got OS will not allow web browsers to detect screen record apps.

Q1. But can I develop a program (desktop app) that can detect screen recorder apps?

I'm asking because if I could manage to build such a program I can use it to know whether the user records the videos or not while opening the website and hence take a counteraction.

The flow would be like so:

  • Whenever a user opens my website, I check if the desktop app is running or not.

  • If it is not, the video will not be played until the app is run.

  • If the desktop app is running, then check if there is a screen recording app is also running at the same time or not.

  • If a screen recording app is running, then the video won't be played.

Q2. Is this idea even possible to implement?

Ian
  • 1,221
  • 1
  • 18
  • 30
Hossam Ahmed
  • 104
  • 1
  • 1
  • 4
  • Even if you could detect the recording of the screen by a local application process, there are several screen capture devices available that attach inline with the monitor cable which you'll never be able to prevent... – Ian Oct 26 '18 at 21:33

2 Answers2

3

You cannot determine what another program is doing, so you cannot detect that a program is recording the screen.

You can, however, determine what programs are currently running. So at best you can tell that “RecordLive!.exe” is running, or “VidCapture.exe” is running, and refuse to play your video if either are running, or stop it if such a program starts.

Unfortunately, if a new capture program comes out you’ll have to update your list. Or if I write my own “MyCapture.exe” you’ll never detect it. Or worse, if I rename an existing program to “MyCapture.exe”, you won’t detect it.

So, in short: nice theory, but not practical.

John Burger
  • 3,662
  • 1
  • 13
  • 23
  • Unfortunately, you're right. I was just trying to see if that was possible. It's really disappointing that we're in 2018 and you cannot protect your own data. – Hossam Ahmed Jul 05 '18 at 00:02
  • I hope downvoters at least tell what is wrong with the question so that it can be improved. – Hossam Ahmed Jul 05 '18 at 00:03
  • 1
    @HossamAhmed I don't know what the system tells you, I thought it did, but your question is being voted to close for being too broad and based on opinion, not fact. https://stackoverflow.com/help/dont-ask – Rob Jul 05 '18 at 00:25
  • Yes.. you can write a program which ends (kills) all the programs except chrome.exe and explorer. – suraj jain Sep 26 '20 at 14:04
0

If website security is of utmost importance, one possible way to block screen recorders is to package your website inside a desktop app which takes care of security. One such tool that does that is Website Kiosker.

For external camcorders, the tool can show user specific watermark (like username or email) on random locations on screen so the real pirate can be identified!

Disclaimer: I am associated with Bitss Techniques. The only intention here is to provide a genuine option to the question asked.

Amit Mittal
  • 1,129
  • 11
  • 30