What is the difference between using http and https in the URL for file_get_contents in PHP?

When using file_get_contents in PHP, the main difference between using http and https in the URL is the security protocol being used. Using https ensures that the data being transferred is encrypted, providing a more secure connection compared to http. Therefore, it is recommended to use https whenever possible to protect sensitive information.

$url = 'https://example.com/data.json';
$data = file_get_contents($url);
echo $data;