VPN for Torrenting

Online streaming could be such a hassle sometimes, with ISP throttling and the constant buffering – it’s a buzzkill. Then came torrenting, a blessing in disguise. Torrenting is probably the most popular P2P form of file-sharing, however, it does require torrent management software, like uTorrent.

Now you can just easily download BitTorrent files and watch whatever you want without worrying about it lagging. The whole process sounds easy but isn’t as secure as it should be. And that’s exactly why you need the best VPN for torrenting. Hang on till we uncover all the good reasons to keep your VPN up and running as you torrent to your heart’s content.

What is Torrenting?

Torrenting is the process of downloading or uploading files through a BitTorrent system. Instead of connecting you with a central network to download, BitTorrent connects you with individual users’ devices on the network.

People who are downloading and uploading the same files are known as peers individually, and collectively they’re called a swarm. Through BitTorrent, a user can download a specific file from several other users at once, or a user can upload a file for multiple other users to download simultaneously.

Torrenting is primarily meant to support file sharing while lowering the load on centralized networks. Several users participate in the process and the host traffic gets strategically distributed. Though torrenting is not illegal or unethical, it’s often linked to piracy because some negligent users upload copyright content (movies, series, and other forms of media) on the platform.

Is Torrenting Safe?

The overall concept of torrenting has certain myths and concerns associated with it. That’s why, whether torrenting is legal and safe is one of the common questions you’ll find online. In a nutshell, torrenting is legal. However, downloading copyright-protected content, intentionally or unintentionally, can get users into trouble, if caught. The principle implicitly applies to those users who stumble upon such content and mistakenly participate in copyright infringement.

We will come over the safety, security, and privacy concerns later in the article.

What makes torrenting unsafe and how to work around it?

Though there is a line between legal and illegal in the torrenting world, most users still fail to differentiate between them. A common practice known as ISP throttling is used to discourage such activities. ISP throttling is when your ISP purposefully slows down your connection or doesn’t load certain pages to discourage traffic. The ISP, as well as other online trackers, are always on the lookout for such activities.

The most famous BitTorrent trackers are PirateBay or KickassTorrents, which are known to function in a somewhat legally grey area. While the websites are merely just trackers, they do host a lot of infringed or copyrighted content and provide users with free access to it.

The sharing and downloading of such content are deemed illegal in multiple countries and can be unsafe for users. KickassTorrents has been known to host malware on certain occasions. Moreover, we’ve witnessed countless times that PirateBay was taken down due to legality issues- therefore we suggest you stay safe by connecting to a VPN for added anonymity.

It is very easy to shift the blame to the users who are downloading and accessing copyrighted content. As stated, users connected to a similar tracker are called peers which can then be divided into two categories: leeches; those who are downloading through a magnet file, and seeds; those who already have the magnet file downloaded.

Now, legally, leeching or seeding copyrighted content is a clear violation of copyright laws. The trackers are simply the gateway, in the end, they always have the defense to blame the user.

How to Download uTorrent?

uTorrent is the most popular BitTorrent file management software and is widely used by users around the world, here’s how you can download it:

• Go to https://www.utorrent.com/ .
• Click on ‘Download uTorrent Classic’.
• Choose whichever plan you’d like.
• Double-click the uTorrent install file.
• Click Yes when the prompt shows up.
• Click Next.
• Tap Agree.
• Uncheck the checkbox on any additional software install offers.
• Select shortcut options and press Next.
• Click Next
• Click Decline on the recommended programs.
• Press Finish to complete the installation process.
• Launch uTorrent and you’re good to go!

Is uTorrent Safe?

uTorrent is probably one of the most popular torrent management software programs. It is also the official torrent client from the BitTorrent creator’s protocol. However, like other platforms, uTorrent is not open-sourced. It is managed by their legal company, according to which, the official uTorrent application is completely safe and abides by the law.

But here is the tricky part. While uTorrent itself is safe to use, it can, however, still be used to download infringed content. Similarly, while uTorrent gives you the assurance that it is virus-free, it does not alert you if you’re downloading a risky file. So you can still end up downloading malware through uTorrent regardless of it being safe.

If you want to ensure safety and privacy while using uTorrent, we’d suggest you connect to a VPN.

What If You Get Caught?

The chances of you serving time or visiting court due to a torrenting issue are narrow, but there can be extreme consequences. Different copyright holders have sued many torrenteers for copyright piracy in the late 2000s. Copyright pirates were fined for unimaginably high amounts of money, and most had to visit the court.

However, these acts were widely disliked by the public since they believed that rich influential people were bullying ‘poor college students’, which is why direct lawsuits are much less common these days. But they are still very much after copyright pirates.

Copyright holders use certain ways to discourage people from copyright infringement. Out of which, DMCA and Copyright trolls are in full action these days.

Copyright Trolls

Copyright trolls are individuals or companies that go after copyright pirates or users that are downloading infringed content. These companies end up finding users who have downloaded copyrighted content by tracing their IP addresses.

When they have successfully found such users, they reach out to the copyright company and act as a member of their team by sending notices to the users illegally downloading copyrighted content.

Copyright trolls do sound scary and dangerous because of their actions. But, they rarely end up taking things to court they prefer to settle outside. They usually prefer to settle matters for a minimal price and finish the case. However, they may intimidate the user and ask for an unusually high price.

DMCA Letters

DMCA, The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, is copyright law that acts as a takedown notice. Once the rightful copyright owners get knowledge of an infringement, they send a DMCA Letter to the host of the website to take down all or any copyrighted content.

The most common way of sending such a notice is through your ISP. The copyright company usually sues your ISP if they do not have hold of your personal identity yet. In turn, your ISP is likely to issue you with a warning which could be a formal notice or in the form of ISP throttling.

If you ignore such warnings, it could lead to worse consequences, such as hefty fines, court proceedings, or even jail time in some cases.

Why Do You Need a VPN?

As mentioned before, torrenting without a VPN means your activity online is viewable by almost everyone who has access to it, such as your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In most countries, the ISP is allowed to share your data with third parties which could also include intellectual property owners.

We suggest that you connect to iProVPN to prevent your ISP from being able to access your information or activity online. Moreover, if you unintentionally download such content, a VPN will decrease your chances of being caught and protect you from legal consequences which would otherwise be in place and affect you.

Since copyright trolls track down users through their IP addresses, they will not be able to do so when you are connected to a VPN because a VPN will hide your IP address and give you a temporary IP that cannot be tracked down or traced. This means that your identity and location, as well as all your data, remain private and safe while you’re browsing on the internet.

Why iProVPN Is The Best VPN for Torrenting

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) keeps your activity hidden from your ISP. While all VPNs function differently, some are better suited for torrenting such as iProVPN. We suggest you choose iProVPN because:

• It does not keep records of your data and promises complete privacy.
• With its ideal location in the British Virgin Islands, it is not legally bound to log user activity, duration of VPN connection, or the websites a user visits during a VPN connection.
• iProVPN has got some fastest servers in action. It can satisfy your need for speed.

With a VPN actively running in the background, digital experts at iProVPN also suggest users activate an antivirus program to stay protected from malicious content including viruses.

To torrent safely you must:

1. Download and Install iProVPN.
2. Enable iProVPN’s Kill Switch feature to prevent accidental IP leaks.
3. Connect to a server, preferably in a location that accepts P2P
4. Once connected, you can begin torrenting.

Why Choose iProVPN Over a Free VPN

We suggest users to opt for premium VPN services because free VPNs don’t serve the purpose, showing ads, and sharing user activity with third parties. All-in-all, free VPNs are an epic failure of the philosophy and the research that back the usefulness of a VPN.

Even though a free VPN looks promising, it is the opposite. A free VPN looks tempting because of its no upfront costs. By giving you a VPN app for free, such companies indirectly cost you your privacy, online freedom, and peace of mind.

Features That Make iProVPN The Best VPN for Torrenting

Here is a list of reasons why you should opt for iProVPN for torrenting instead of any other providers:

• Security: iProVPN’s AES 256-bit encryption helps keep your data encrypted and safe from your ISP. Similarly, with its Kill Switch and DNS Leak Protection, iProVPN gives you maximum security making sure that you are safe while torrenting.
• Logging Policy: iProVPN being a dedicated P2P VPN claims to never record or log any of your data or save any sort of information about your activity, neither does it save your IP address. It guarantees that your information is only accessible to you, and no one else.
• Speed and Unlimited Bandwidth: iProVPN has no data caps or bandwidth limits. So whenever you torrent, do it without limitations.

Conclusion

Torrenting can be a risky business, even though it gives you an easy route to watch your favorite content without buffering. But the risk doesn’t end here. The internet isn’t as free and private as we wish it was. So you need to shield yourself using an efficient privacy tool. This is why we recommend that you connect to iProVPN before torrenting and ensure that your information remains private and secure and you don’t get into any mess!

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