Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.
If you’re even the slightest bit tech-savvy, you must’ve heard of torrenting if not actively participated in it. And if you haven’t done it yourself, then you must have four questions in your mind that everyone else does: One, Is it safe to torrent? Two, Is it legal to torrent? Three, What happens if you get caught torrenting? Four, Is torrenting with a VPN any good? Or even is NordVPN safe for torrenting? Or are other VPNs?
We’ll be answering those questions in this article. We will also offer some advice regarding safe methods you can use to torrent.
Torrenting is an activity that has been around for well over 20 years now. But, only recently has it become mainstream. And the questions listed above are asked because the act of torrenting exists in a bit of a moral and a legal gray area. Let’s analyze and answer these questions once and for all:
Here’s All You Need To Know About Torrenting
What Is Torrenting?
To establish the other questions about torrenting, we must first explain what torrenting is. It is a decentralized way to upload and download files and works using the BitTorrent network. It is considered decentralized because it does not store the files to be downloaded on a central server. Instead, the files are kept on the user’s devices and transferred on demand.
Torrenting is officially known as peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing, and it requires torrent management software to work correctly. However, torrenting has become synonymous with piracy and illegal activity due to its decentralized nature and the fact that files of all nature are privately shared through the torrent network.
This is because, through torrents, one can access movies, games, music, TV shows, and proprietary software that would otherwise be purchased. This is considered piracy and is frowned upon by the big companies. However, torrenting is also legitimate in many ways and offers a way to lessen the load on centralized servers by sharing files on individual devices.
Speaking of Legality
Torrenting itself isn’t inherently illegal. But what is illegal is sharing copyrighted and trademarked material through torrents. As such, torrenting exists in a legal gray area where each incident is treated on a case-by-case basis rather than terming the entire act of torrent as illegal.
The primary source of monitoring on any torrenting activity will come through your ISP. They track your data and browsing habits and can detect whether you are torrenting something illegal. Though torrenting largely goes unpunished on an individual scale, it depends upon what you are downloading through a torrent. For example, it could be a movie or highly proprietary software.
And should your ISP detect your torrenting, they can take action against you, ranging from a warning to throttling to even legal action, though the lattermost is quite rare. To keep this from happening, most people will just use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to cloak their online activities from their ISP.
The best VPN to choose would be the one that doesn’t keep a log of your activity. This will help avoid most issues with accountability should there be an issue.
Who Gets Caught Torrenting? What Are The Consequences If You Do?
So far, prosecution for torrenting has been sparse and only occurred for more significant cases. Usually, the punishment if you’re caught ranges from a warning letter. But, in some cases, there are penalties incurred by the torrenter. These penalties are sometimes levied by the ISP and sometimes by the copyright holder.
There are also small firms known as copyright trolls that the copyright holder hires. These firms take legal action on behalf of the copyright holders. Again, though, this process is quite rare and not pursued by most copyright holders.
Most people torrent, with and without VPNs, relatively safely and without hassle. But many choose not to torrent at all, fearing that they will be caught and incur huge penalties.
Instead of fearing torrenting, simply employ the use of a VPN, as stated above. It’s not the most foolproof way, but it is safer than most other methods.
Just download and install a VPN. We recommend NordVPN because it fits the criteria for a torrent VPN in the best fashion. Second, don’t forget to enable the ‘killswitch’ in the VPN. This will kill the connection should the connection become vulnerable. Then simply connect to a server in a P2P-friendly country. Now, you can enjoy torrenting in peace.
To Wrap Up
So, if you really want to see that movie that’s come out but you don’t want to spend money to go to the cinema or get a streaming service subscription, then you can simply torrent it.
But keep in mind that it is a legal grey area. And keep your VPN activated throughout the entire browsing and downloading process.
