Always use a VPN. With torrents you actively share the file which is illegal pretty much anywhere.
Even if no one cares today, someone might tomorrow.
this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2025
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yeah, i will probably get Mullvad.
It doesn't support port forwarding, it's not the best VPN for torrenting, your downloading will be limited.
I personally use ProtonVPN which does have port forwarding.
VPNs are a barrier for torrenting. Some people don't want to pay (or can't even pay), and other people may find setting a VPN up difficult. This is not good advice.
Force encryption for bittorrent and you're already future proof.
wat, there is no encryption in bittorrent that will protect you except for a vpn.
no one follow this individuals advice for your own sake.
There is encryption that will save you unless ISPs use shadow peers, which they can't use retroactively.
Edit, cuz I think the scope of my original comment has been misunderstood, my bad:
Of course, ISPs can still know you're torrenting, and if they don't like that, you will get letters. But they can't know what you torrented.
If you're gonna torrent, get informed about the laws in your country and how ISPs enforce anti-piracy measures, and if you can freely torrent in your country, there's no need to use a VPN. Encryption will save you from ISPs retroactively snooping on what you torrented.
the peers approach is the problem, not the ISPs. ISPs can tell your torrenting just from the shape of the traffic.
edit: generally, the claim that the builtin encryption protects the user is essentially misinformation and anyone who follows it is potentially in for a world of hurt.
Are there any countries where torrenting is legal? AFAIK, all countries ban sharing of copyrighted content. For example where I live it's legal to download stuff, but not sharing it with others. You can't really avoid sharing with torrents.
It's illegal everywhere, but not every place will actively hunt out civilians that torrent. Brazil is one such example, since pirating for self use, without trying to profit off the work, gets you fully ignored by the police, they only ever go after sites (PirateBay is still blocked here). I expect other parts of Latin America are similar.
This. Actually most countries leave you alone if you're not trying to profit from torrents. I can say the same about Spain, I've never heard of anyone getting any warning for torrenting and half the people I know torrent everyday without a VPN.
Well, as I said in my first comment, that no one cares today doesn't mean no one will care tomorrow. If it's illegal, you should take precautions.
That is exactly my point. If you use encryption, they will not be able to retroactively see what you torrented, and they can't punish you just for having torrent traffic because it could be legal torrents.
Torrenting is legal.
What you download might not be.
Sure, sure. I think it was obvious what I'm talking about, but yeah, you got me.
Encryption won't do anything is your real IP address is exposed. A VPN covers that. Most ISPs don't care, they just have to forward those nasty letters and may shut off your internet if pressured. Rightsholders will attach to the swarm, note all the connected IPs, and then go after the ISPs to get to the users. You have to obfuscate your personal IP somehow.
And sure I can see paying being an issue for some, but there really isn't much other way. As for use, they're no harder to set up that a torrent client.
VPNs are a barrier, true. But prison bars or having to pay millions to huge corporations are even bigger barriers. Sure, it might not happen to everyone and it probably won't happen to most. If you want to gamble with your life, go ahead, but please, don't tell others some form of protection isn't needed.
If you don't want to or can't pay, don't torrent. There are other, safer ways to get content.
Fun fact: the American studios tried to do that in Australia, and about fifteen years ago, the court system said “yeah nah not happening” and that they could only sue for the cost of a movie ticket. Needless to say, that’s not cost effective. So they don’t bother anymore
I've heard some polish productions pursue its pirates in their home companies, but not from international companies like Disney.
It's canal+ mainly that's always on the hunt.
Apparently downloading stuff in Poland is legal but sharing (seeding) it's not, so there is the problem
Hey, fellow pole here. Generally if you get letter letter from isp you have to act like dumb and not respond to letter since you would prove that you did it. I torrented without vpn and I didn’t get letter yet, maybe because it is harder to find my location thanks to being connected to cell tower in Warsaw (I don’t know how exactly my connection to internet outside works but I do know that it isn’t wired and thanks to that it is harder to locate me probably). If you would get letter from isp get yourself a vpn and then bind it to your torrenting client so it wouldn’t work if it would disconnect from vpn. If you don’t understand or want me to explain it in polish, let me know and we will go to dms
but I do know that it isn’t wired and thanks to that it is harder to locate me probably
that does not matter if the subscription is on your name (and address)
You account number is linked to the SIM you use and that is linked to your adress.