To begin with, the process of torrenting is pretty safe. Before downloading a torrent, I recommend reading the comments and reviews from the community. Still, you should always be cautious when it comes to downloading torrents. The act of torrenting itself is not illegal.
However, downloading and sharing unsanctioned copyrighted material is very much illegal , and there is always a chance of getting caught by the authorities. Torrenting non-copyrighted material is perfectly fine and is allowed, as there are no restrictions that apply to that. In many countries, such as the U. The authorities and ISPs can easily catch people who distribute copyrighted material without any privacy precautions.
Torrenting client software stores all IP addresses of seeders and leechers as well. By simply monitoring a torrent file, the ISP has access to all IP addresses downloading a specific torrent. As a result, the authorities could come knocking on your door. Copyright trolls are individuals or companies that are in the business of going after torrent pirates. These businesses locate torrenters who illegally distribute copyrighted material based on their IP addresses.
When they successfully locate a torrent pirate, they sign a deal of approval with the copyright holders to take legal actions on their behalf against the pirate. In some cases, Hollywood production companies hire these businesses to specifically snoop on pirates distributing their content illegally.
It is still unclear how willing courts will be to prosecute individuals based only on the fact that their IP address was recorded. This month a U. The New Scientist reports that "anyone who has downloaded pirated music, video or eBooks using a BitTorrent client has probably had their IP address logged by copyright-enforcement authorities within three hours of doing so.
They successfully pressured the Department of Justice to halt Megaupload and managed to prod the Ukrainian government into shutting down Demonoid , the popular private tracker. The next step seems to be bring Internet service providers like Comcast and Time Warner into the act. If you spend time on internet message boards such as 8chan or Reddit, you may come across invitations to private torrenting communities.
The privacy risks associated with torrenting extend beyond law enforcement. When you torrent without using a VPN to mask your true identity , your real IP address is exposed, which creates a massive lapse in privacy and personal safety.
Torrent securely with ExpressVPN. Watch out for fake torrent sites. Multiple windows, demands for registration, and strange-looking URLs are telling signs of malicious sites. Copycat sites often spring up to replace legitimate torrenting sites when they shut down and can also expose you to malware.
Check the history of an uploader to see if they upload quality and highly-seeded torrents. I avoid new uploaders and download verified torrents only — unverified torrents can easily plant malware on your device. To increase your chance of getting a legitimate torrent, look for a higher seeder-to-leecher ratio. It also helps to read comments on torrent pages to avoid potentially dangerous downloads.
Be aware that your antivirus software could trigger a false-positive, even if the files are harmless. These are a red flag for malicious processes. Download a secure VPN and a reputable anti-malware scanner to keep your personal information and device safe when torrenting.
You can also get a quality standalone ad-blocking service before you visit torrent sites. Remember: even unintentional downloads of copyrighted materials can get you in legal trouble. Here are a few torrenting sites you should avoid at all costs:. The only way to torrent safely is through a top-tier VPN service.
A VPN reroutes your internet connection through a different IP address , anonymizing your online activity. Quick Tip: Torrenting ebook and audiobook files is just as illegal as downloading films and shows. I tested over 30 VPNs, and ExpressVPN is one of my top picks as it gets you high torrenting speeds and lets you download files anonymously. If you want to test it yourself, you can try ExpressVPN for torrenting on your own device. ExpressVPN had consistently fast torrent download speeds.
Together with my team, we tested over 30 ExpressVPN servers across the globe and never experienced a speed decline below 25Mbps. This is fast enough to watch Netflix in HD and download torrents quickly.
With no bandwidth limit, you can torrent as much as you want with ExpressVPN and have zero issues. ExpressVPN also has unbeatable security features to keep you safe while torrenting. Its military-grade encryption makes it impossible for your online activity to be traced back to you. The money was back in my bank account after 5 days. Try ExpressVPN risk-free. December Update! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it's gone.
See more information on this offer here. Airtight military-grade encryption prevents your data from becoming visible and keeps your torrents completely anonymous. Also, CyberGhost is based in Romania, so your data is safe from intelligence-sharing agreements with other governments. With the ability to block ads, malicious websites, and online tracking, CyberGhost makes torrent sites less risky to browse.
Given that many torrenting websites are filled with aggressive pop-ups, ads, and links to shady websites, this feature made me feel more comfortable when torrenting.
With its money-back guarantee, you can try CyberGhost risk-free for 45 days. Try CyberGhost for free. This is a limited offer so grab it now before it's gone. Since Kickass Torrents KAT was taken down by a joint government effort in the US, people have found alternatives for their torrenting needs.
Here is our top 10 list of the most popular alternatives to KAT that work in Kickass Torrents was one of the most renowned torrenting sites on the internet, until its founder, Artem Vaulin, was arrested and charged with numerous criminal offenses by the United States Department of Justice in After that, it only took a short time for the original Kickass Torrents KAT site to be shut down , too.
For a long time after, visitors to the original Kickass Torrents website encountered a very ominous message. Although the main site of Kickass Torrents was shut down several years ago, there is a copycat site going around. It looks exactly the same as the original Kickass Torrents and even has the same name. Should you use this new KickassTorrents website for your torrenting needs?
We have our doubts. While this site appears often in best torrenting websites lists, we advise against using it. Judging by its name, this extension is some kind of PDF converter.
There are several great torrenting alternatives to KAT that work today. Always be very careful when it comes to torrenting. Downloading torrents can be illegal and also comes with several serious security threats.
VPNOverview does not condone illegal torrenting activity. We also recommend using a secure and recommended VPN to keep yourself safe when you torrent. Kickass Torrents going down is part of a reasonable effort to limit the amount of copyright law violations torrenting allows.
However, people that want to torrent have plenty of alternatives to KAT. Here is our list of the ten most safe and reliable torrenting sites that work right now.
They are all viable alternatives now that Kickass Torrents is offline. Website: Visit a working Pirate Bay Mirror. The Pirate Bay is a behemoth in the torrenting world , clocking in tens of millions of visitors a month, with the same amount of files in their library, fast download speeds, and an easy-to-use interface. The site also stands out thanks to its security quirks: they have a dedicated community that is happy to let you know whenever a torrent seems risky.
Again, check our best VPN section for the best options out there, safety tips, and news. After that, tick all the VPN safety settings you can.
Make sure you enable connection encryption, leak protection, and a kill switch for when your network is at risk of getting infected. Most VPNs will feature these options maybe under different names. The kill switch is important, as it will prevent your identity from being exposed when your VPN connection suddenly drops. Third, install an ad blocker and other safety-enhancing extensions.
You can read all about them in our article detailing the best browser extensions for safety and privacy , as well as our guide with 8 steps to stay safe online. A lot of countries have their own regional private torrent site, and they all seem impossible to get in. We took a deep dive into the world of private torrent sites, and we were able to obtain invitations for some of them. Reddit, 8chan, and specifically anonymity-focused forums have threads on torrenting.
Rarely, invitations will be just thrown there for a limited time, but what we did is we got in touch with someone that implied having an account in one of their threads. Ideally, you already know someone who has an account there and you can ask for an invitation. TorrentGalaxy is like a downgraded version of X. While it does have almost 8 million visitors each month, and the library it boasts is decent, the ad intrusion level is too much to warrant praise, especially when compared to all the alternatives you have.
Yes, a version of this website is still available online. We advise against downloading torrents from any random site that pops up after a Google search, and we definitely recommend you stay up to date with your safety-enhancing software.
If you do that, your computer should be safe from harm when downloading torrents. That being said, downloading and sharing copyrighted material without the approval of its creator is illegal, and in some countries, it may lead to legal repercussions. Stay safe on the web with the right VPN and by taking the right security measures. And of course, check the jurisdiction of the country you are in and steer clear from illegal activities when using torrent sites.
Are you curious to see what other people download from torrent sites? Below, you can see a top 10 list of the most downloaded movies and TV shows from last month. Use a trusted platform from our best torrent sites list, and always do this only after taking the right security measures.
The Pirate Bay, for instance, has a huge variety of all sorts of content, but a bit of a minimalist interface. YTS on the other hand, mainly offers HD movies and a very nice interface, whereas Zooqle is a great torrent site for gamers.
There are definitely some shady torrent websites on the web that might show you a lot of questionable intrusive ads or even spread malware on your system.
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