Torrent sometime causes huge financial and identity theft issues. Therefore, using a reliable VPN for torrenting is a suitable option to avoid these threats. This article disscuses the best torrenting VPNs. These VPNs provide excellent support for downloading torrents, but NordVPN provides special p2p optimized servers for torrenting and advanced encryption protocols to deal with privacy.
Torrenting has its benefits, but it can also put you in trouble. When you download torrents, the copyright trolls can catch you and even fine you for your activities. Moreover, there’s no anonymity in the P2P swarm, which leads to malware and viruses harming your devices.
However, you can avoid all these problems using a Torrent VPN. It encrypts your torrent traffic preventing ISP speed limits, throttling, and masking your real IP to other seeders and peers.
Numerous VPN providers claim to offer the best service for torrenting, but which one provides encryption and stability? Therefore, we did multiple tests and research and curated the best VPN for torrenting list. Read on to improve your torrent downloading experience.
10 Best torrenting VPNs in 2024 – Quick list
After long research, here is a quick list of the ten best VPNs that work perfectly with torrenting.
NordVPN: Its top-ranked VPN provider, 6000+ servers, all security features, works with Netflix, Torrenting, Tor, and ISP throttling – 30-day Free trial www.nordvpn.com.
ExpressVPN: It has 3,000 servers around the world and works great with Torrenting, Netflix, and special features for Tor. Offer 30-day Free trial available www.expressvpn.com
CyberGhost: it offers 7500+ servers around the world, works with torrenting, Netflix and also provides great privacy features. 45-day Free trial available www.cyberghost.com
ExtremeVPN: It has 6,500 servers in 96+ loction around the world and works great with Torrenting, Netflix, and special features for Tor. Offer 7-day Free trial www.ExtremeVPN.com
Surfhark: It’s great with Netflix and torrenting, can bypass ISP throttling, and has great privacy features. 3000+ servers and come with a 30-day free trial www.surfshark.com
Proton VPN: It has 6,700+ servers and is loaded with all privacy features. Works with Netflix, Torrenting, Tor, and bypassing the ISP throttling. Free Version available www.protonvpn.com
VyprVPN: It has 700+ servers in over 70 Countries, works great with Torrenting, Netflix, special features for Tor. Offer 30-day Free trial available www.vyprvpn.com
Private internet Access (PIA): It has servers 121 locations in 90 countries around the world and works great with Torrenting, Netflix, and special features for Tor. Offer 30-day Free trial available www.PIA.com
IPVanish: It has over 2,200 servers in more than 75 countries around the world and works great with Torrenting, Netflix, and special features for Tor. Offer 7-day Free trial available www.IPVanish.com
Hotspot Shield: It has multiple servers in 80+ countries around the world and works great with Torrenting, Netflix, and special features for Tor. Offer 45-day Free trial available www.Hotspotshield.com
Why do you need a VPN for torrenting?
Firstly, you don’t want anyone in your ISP or local network to know what you are torrenting. The VPN encrypts all the files you upload or download via your torrenting client before they go through your ISP’s server networks. This makes it impossible for anyone snooping around to monitor your browsing activities because they would have to decrypt the data, which is a monumental task.
The second way a VPN protects your privacy when torrenting is by preventing users in the torrenting swarm from seeing your IP address. BitTorrent’s peer-to-peer protocol allows devices to upload or download the same file to see each other’s IP address. Many torrenting clients even allow you to view the list of connected devices when seeding or leeching files on the network.
However, a VPN routes your torrenting traffic through a remote server and assigns you another IP address, which will be displayed in the torrenting swarm. This way, copyright trolls cannot identify you and start sending threatening settlement letters. Remember, your IP address can be used to identify your internet service provider and eventually approximate your location.
The torrent Virtual Private Network masks your IP address by assigning you a shared IP address. This means several users are assigned the same IP address, making it difficult to trace a torrenting activity to one user. Additionally, the VPN should not keep user logs to protect the user’s privacy in case government agencies request a user’s activity report.
Factors to look for in the best torrent VPN
You must consider some measures before selecting a VPN. These factors include:
- Dedicated P2P servers: The best torrent VPN offers dedicated P2P servers that help download torrents easily and quickly. Select a VPN that offers such servers; if not, ensure it allows unlimited torrenting on all its servers.
- Security: It is another area that you shouldn’t ignore. Choose a VPN with strong encryption and tunneling protocols to safeguard torrent traffic from threat actors.
- Torrent-centric features: To enjoy secure and hassle-free torrent downloading, the VPN you choose must offer specially designed features that simplify downloading. Such features include split tunneling, kill switch, and SOCKS5 proxy.
- Fast speeds: Nobody likes downloading torrents with slow and sluggish internet speeds. Try to use VPNs that offer a vast server network with less ping time, resulting in fast downloading speeds.
- Privacy: Choose a VPN that belongs to a jurisdiction outside the Global Surveillance Alliance’s jurisdiction. The VPN should also follow a strict no-log policy to keep your activities private.
Fortunately, all the VPN providers mentioned in this article offer all these features. Hence, you should remain assured that your downloading activities will be protected, and no one will ever know about it.
Best VPNs for torrenting – Detailed list
1. NordVPN
NordVPN ranks as the best VPN for torrenting; you can use it if you often use torrenting clients. The VPN offers a vast server network comprising more than 6,000 servers in 111 countries. Additionally, it has dedicated P2P servers that provide the best connection speed for downloading and sharing P2P files. You can find the specialized P2P servers in all significant locations like:
- America
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- UK
By directly connecting to these specialized servers, you can enjoy a fast and secure downloading experience. The VPN uses advanced protocols like NordLynx (an adaptation of the WireGuard VPN protocol with a double NAT) to speed up the downloading. Moreover, the VPN also uses a torrent-specific feature, split tunneling, which consumes less bandwidth and speeds up the downloading process.
While torrenting, NordVPN uses robust AES-256-bit encryption, a 4096-bit RSA key, and a 512 authentication key to safeguard torrent traffic. The VPN follows a no-log policy and thus doesn’t log any data and keeps your torrent-related activities private. All the NordVPN servers run on diskless RAM, meaning no data is stored locally, so you can torrent anonymously.
Besides this, NordVPN offers advanced features like the kill switch that disconnects you from the internet and prevents unwanted IP leaks. Also, you can use the paid dedicated IP address add-on feature to maintain online security while torrenting.
Use NordVPN for torrenting on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and other supported devices for $3.09.month.
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is another excellent VPN that’s pretty reliable for handling P2P traffic. It has 150+ P2P-optimized, making it a good choice for torrenting. The VPN provider offers super-fast and consistent downloading speeds without noticeable buffering and lags.
Moreover, it uses military-grade AES-256-bit encryption and OpenVPN (TCP/UDP) protocol. It recently added the “Lightway” protocol, which allows you to download, stream, and browse the internet as quickly as possible. It has an active kill switch and split tunneling feature and protects against DNS and IPv6 leaks. While downloading torrents or sharing P2P files, the VPN doesn’t leak your connection or reveal your IP address to ISP or other watchful eyes.
Besides this, ExpressVPN is located in the safe jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands and has a strict no-log policy. To further prove its claims, the company has audited its policy.
As a whole, ExpressVPN ensures a safe and secure torrent downloading process, but if you first want to test the VPN service, you can, as it comes with a risk-free 30-day refund offer.
3. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is an excellent VPN service for torrenting because it offers specialized P2P servers that allow unlimited torrenting. You can navigate directly to connect to the P2P-optimized servers that provide the best downloading speed according to your location. The VPN app also gives you a virtual location within a country with access to all popular torrenting sites and makes your downloading experience worth amazing.
The VPN uses military-grade encryption and secure protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard to protect the data from all snooping eyes. It also provides DNS and IP leak protection during the downloading process. Moreover, CyberGhost offers split tunneling and NoSpy servers that increase your connection speed and add a protection layer while torrenting, making your experience more private.
Apart from this, CyberGhost follows a strict no-log policy and prevents ISPs from collecting users’ IP addresses and connection logs. It also belongs to Romania, which isn’t a member state of the Global Surveillance Alliance and won’t retain your data.
You can download torrents using the CyberGhost VPN on Android, macOS, iOS, and other streaming devices and enjoy a 24-hour free trial or 45-day money-back guarantee offer.
4. ExtremeVPN
ExtremeVPN is a modern VPN that supports P2P file sharing on all its servers. The VPN has an extensive server network of over 6,500 servers in over 78 countries, ensuring you can find a server near your location to improve your torrenting speeds. It has quickly become popular thanks to its robust security features at an affordable price.
The VPN has a DNS/IPv6 leak protection feature that protects your identity by preventing your IP address and DNS from leaking to the torrenting swarm. Also, it has a split tunneling feature that allows you to choose which applications or websites can use the VPN service. In addition, it enforces a strict no-logs policy and encrypts your connection using military-grade AES-256 encryption.
ExtremeVPN has an automatic kill switch that immediately shuts down the internet connection to your device in case of VPN failure. This protects your IP address from leaking in the torrenting swarm, helping you maintain anonymity. The VPN supports all major devices and operating systems, including Windows, iOS, Mac, Playstation, Chrome, and Android.
Additionally, the VPN provides up to 10 simultaneous connections, so you can share the account with family and friends or protect more devices. On top of its low price, the service has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can test it risk-free. The customer support team is superb, and they offer 24/7 live chat support to assist in case you have connection problems.
5. Surfshark
Surfshark VPN comes third in the list of the best torrent VPNs. It offers unlimited bandwidth that ensures unrestricted torrenting. The VPN has a decent server network comprising 3200+ servers in 100 countries. When tested, 18 were P2P optimized servers that work BitTorrent, Utorrent, and qBittorrent and can download torrents safely. It offers fast and consistent downloading speed for torrenting and P2P sharing.
It encrypts torrent traffic using the AES-256 ciphers, WireGuard, and OpenVPN protocols. Another impressive thing about Surfshark is its security features. It has a kill switch that prevents DNS and IPv6 leak protection data leaks.
The Whitelister (split tunneling) is Surfshark’s recently released feature. With this feature, you can route your P2P activities via a VPN. This way, the VPN adds an extra protection layer while downloading torrents.
Moreover, its no-log policy and verified log audit report continue to increase in popularity as the best torrent VPN. It even belongs to the safe jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands, which either records or shares your browsing activities or connection logs and keeps them under the cover.
You can use Surfshark VPN on all your devices and benefit from the 30-day money-back guarantee offer.
6. Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a freemium VPN that maintains a top-notch level of online security and offers ultra-fast speeds that result in an excellent torrent downloading experience. The VPN provider offers a vast server network spread in 60+ countries, and all the servers are optimized for P2P activities. The speeds are also fast and ideal for downloading torrents. Moreover, it also uses dedicated P2P protocols that improve your downloading speed.
While you use Proton VPN for P2P file downloading, you don’t have to worry about your online security. It uses military-grade AES-256-bit encryption and OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols to protect your torrent traffic from any snooping eyes. It also protects from torrent IP leaks and even has an active kill switch feature that prevents your actual IP address from leaking when there’s a connection drop.
Besides this, the VPN uses various advanced features that improve your downloading experience. It uses an impressive split tunneling feature that allows you to encrypt your torrent traffic and an ad-blocker that blocks ads and stops malware and viruses from infecting your devices.
Proton VPN is a private VPN that won’t expose your torrent-related activities to anyone. It follows a strict no-log policy that prevents recording IP addresses and other sensitive information. Also, it belongs to a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, i.e., Switzerland protects users’ data with strict Swiss laws.
The free version of Proton VPN doesn’t allow torrenting. You go with the pro version when you choose Proton VPN for torrenting. If you first want to test the torrent-centric features, you can avail yourself of the 30-day money-back guarantee offer.
7. VyprVPN
VyprVPN provides maximum online protection and keeps your torrent-related activities hidden from the outside world. It has 700+ servers in various parts of the world, all optimized for torrenting. It also offers unlimited bandwidth, which helps you circumvent ISP throttling.
Despite having a small server network, VyprVPN still provides stable and fast internet speeds to torrent downloaders, all because of the Chameleon protocol. It’s an advanced protocol that improves internet speed and is handy when torrenting.
The VPN provider is a safe and reliable torrent VPN. It uses the uncrackable AES-256 bit encryption and secure OpenVPN, WireGuard, and Chameleon protocol to protect torrent traffic from ISPs and copyright trolls. It doesn’t leak your torrent IP address and thus maintains greater online security. You can even benefit from the split tunneling and site blocker feature to improve your user experience.
VyprVPN is genuinely private and won’t log or share your data with anyone. It follows a zero-logging policy prohibiting logging and sharing your activity and connection logs. The VPN has undergone a log audit process, proving it lives up to all its claims. Moreover, it also belongs to the safe jurisdiction of Switzerland, which doesn’t follow any privacy or data-collecting laws that violate users’ privacy.
8. Private Internet Access (PIA)
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a reliable and trustworthy VPN with unique torrenting features. It is famous for torrenting because all its servers support P2P file sharing. Also, it has a massive server network of over 35,000 servers in 90 countries, more than the combined total of ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark. The extensive server network ensures you can find a server near you to reduce latency and server overload cases.
Moreover, this VPN will enable you to bypass censorship and geo-restrictions if torrenting is prohibited in your network or country. Similarly, it has excellent unlocking abilities to help you unblock all popular streaming platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and many more. Also, PIA does not conflict with torrenting clients and is compatible with all major devices and operating systems.
The VPN protects your privacy and security using AES-256 Encryption, DNS/IPv6 leak protection, OpenVPN protocol, and IP masking. It also maintains a strict no-logs policy and has a split tunneling feature that allows you to choose which applications must use a VPN when connecting to the internet. The VPN’s WireGuard transmission protocol ensures fast and reliable connection speeds, which boosts performance.
Unlike other VPNs, PIA has a port forwarding feature that allows you to direct specific incoming traffic to a particular device. This improves torrenting speeds and connection reliability. In addition, it has an automatic kill switch that disconnects your device from the internet in case your VPN connection fails. PIA’s 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to test it without financial obligations.
9. IPVanish
IPVanish also stands as the best VPN for torrenting, and it works well with all popular torrenting clients such as uTorrent, Vuze, and BitTorrent. It has a decent server network of 2000+ servers in more than 75 locations, offering robust security and fast torrenting speeds at an affordable price. The service also boasts decent unblocking abilities that allow you to bypass blocks and geo-restrictions when torrenting.
Besides torrenting, IPVanish can unblock all major streaming platforms, including Netflix US and other services such as DAZN, ESPN, and HBO Max. It has consistent connection speeds so that you can stream videos in the best streaming quality possible. Also, you can pay an additional fee to access their exclusive 500 GB SugarSync cloud storage facility, where you can store all your downloaded torrent files.
The VPN is easy to use, and the installation process is simple. IPVanish comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test their services risk-free. The downside of this VPN is that it does not work in China, and despite supporting various payment methods, it does not support payment via crypto.
Thankfully, the provider adjusted its policy to allow unlimited simultaneous connections. Since it supports all major platforms, you can protect all your devices simultaneously.
10. Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is a freemium VPN that allows you to download and upload torrent files without restrictions. It has over 3,200 servers in 70 countries, all of which support torrenting. The VPN has excellent unblocking abilities, enabling you to bypass censorships, geo-restrictions, and blocked websites without detection. Also, it unblocks all the popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.
The VPN integrates well with all significant torrenting clients and is compatible with all major devices, including macOS, Android, Windows, and iOS. Recently, it also added support for Android TV and routers. Hotspot Shield uses the proprietary catapult Hydra tunneling protocol, which ensures fast and consistent connection speeds when torrenting.
The provider uses the military-grade AES-256 encryption protocol to protect your data against interception. It also enforces a strict no-logs policy to ensure all your torrenting activities cannot be traced back to you. In addition, the VPN has an automatic kill switch that prevents unsecured internet connections if your VPN connection fails. It supports up to five simultaneous connections, but you can install it on your router to add more connections.
The downside of this VPN is that it is registered in the US, a country known for intrusive surveillance and a member of the 5/9/14 Eye Alliance. Despite this, the provider has enforced a strict no-logs policy and has released transparency reports every year since 2017.
Comparing VPN torrenting policies
Some premium VPNs use P2P optimized servers; others allow torrenting in some of their servers, while the rest do not. If you are a torrenting fan, you want a VPN with the best performance and fewest restrictions. Also, you don’t want to use a VPN that tracks and stores data related to your browsing and torrenting activities. Let’s compare the logging and torrenting policies of different VPNs.
| VPN Provider | Torrenting policy | Logging policy |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Allowed | Strictly no logging |
| CyberGhost | Copyrighted material forbidden | Strictly no logging |
| ExtremeVPN | Allowed on limited servers | Strictly no logging |
| SurfShark | Allowed | Strictly no logging |
| Proton VPN | Allowed on limited servers | Strictly no logging |
| ExpressVPN | Allowed | Strictly no logging |
| VyprVPN | Copyrighted material forbidden | Some logging |
| Private Internet Access | Allowed | Strictly no logging |
| IPVanish | Copyrighted material forbidden | Strictly no logging |
| Hotspot Shield | Allowed | Some logging |
How can I securely use a VPN when torrenting
Follow these steps to use a VPN while torrenting safely;
- Subscribe to a reliable and trustworthy VPN. We recommend using NordVPN as it doesn’t keep your data and offers robust encryption.
- Download and install the VPN application on your device. Most providers have applications for all major operating systems.
- Launch the VPN and connect to your desired server. If torrenting websites are blocked in your network or country, choose a server in a region where torrenting is allowed.
- Confirm whether the security configurations need to be updated. For instance, enable the kill switch, DNS, and IP leak protection, and ensure you use a secure tunneling protocol.
- Check for DNS and IP leaks. To avoid exposing your identity, use online tools such as whatismyip.com to confirm that your IP address is not leaking.
- Once you are sure your VPN is not leaking, open your torrenting client and start downloading and uploading torrents.
Ensure your VPN connection is active throughout your torrenting session to avoid leaking your IP address and compromising your privacy.
Best free VPN for Torrenting
Torrenting consumes a lot of bandwidth and can make downloading difficult because of slow and sluggish connections. For this reason, torrenting is considered a premium feature and is booked for paid VPN providers. Besides limited bandwidth, most free VPN providers have a limited server network and lack basic security and torrent-centric features. This will eventually risk your digital privacy.
Thus, you can consider using the VPN that offers a free trial instead of using a free VPN. These VPNs allow users to test their services for a few days or are backed with a money-back guarantee.
However, if you still want to use free VPNs, we recommend using Proton VPN and Hotspot Shield. Both VPN services offer free versions that you can use to enjoy torrenting.
What is port forwarding?
Port forwarding is a technique remote computers use to connect to specific servers by routing incoming traffic to those hosts on particular ports. For example, if you want to host a game server, you must forward the game server’s port. By doing this, you would make it possible for online gamers to join your game server.
Most VPN companies do not support port forwarding because the customer would need a dedicated IP address. On the other hand, VPNs use shared IPs, making port forwarding impossible due to port collisions. However, torrenting works just fine because of Network Address Translation (NAT), which allows sharing of a single public IP address among multiple devices on a private network.
The torrent client uses your private or internal IP address and an ephemeral port to initiate an outbound connection to a seeder. Through connection tracking, the server links this connection to your IP address. Then, just like with a home router setup, inbound data from the seeder is sent back to your device over NAT.
Some companies are reluctant to use port forwarding due to their associated security risks, while others feel users would abuse it. However, some VPNS, like Private Internet Access (PIA ), have a port forwarding feature.
How does a VPN affect torrenting speed?
A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a remote server, masking your identity. This makes it impossible for the ISP to monitor your browsing activities or even throttle your connection. Some ISPs intentionally reduce your internet connection speed when torrenting or streaming. With a VPN, you can download and upload torrents at the maximum bandwidth allocated to you.
On the other hand, your internet speed may be slightly reduced due to the rerouting, encryption, and decryption involved. However, if you have a strong internet connection, you might not notice it. Additionally, if many people are connected to one server, you may experience slow connection speeds or connection failure due to server overload.
VPN not working while torrenting – What to do?
If you encounter connection problems with your VPN while torrenting, try using the following troubleshooting tips.
- Check if your internet connection is working correctly.
- Check if you are using the latest version of your VPN. If not, update your VPN software.
- Try switching to a different tunneling protocol.
- Connect to another server.
- Find out if your VPN supports torrenting.
- Check for torrent IP leaks.
- If all the tips above fail to resolve the issue, contact the customer support team or subscribe to another VPN that supports torrenting.
How to check torrent IP leaks
A misconfigured or a free VPN can leak your IP address while downloading torrents. Thus, it is essential to check your VPN for Torrent IP leaks. To conduct a Torrent IP leak test, choose a reliable tool like:
- IPMagnet
- torrent.privacy.com
- upcoil.com
Once you’ve selected the tool, run the VPN for a Torrent IP leak test. By comparing the results, you can learn whether your VPN leaks your Torrent IP address. If the IP address displayed at the end of the test result matches your actual IP address, your VPN is leaking your IP address.
You can fix the issue by reconnecting to your VPN and then conducting the test or using the best top-rated VPN provider.
Which are the safest locations for torrenting?
A reliable VPN allows you to download torrents from any location. But if you want to enjoy blazing-fast speed while torrenting, connecting to the nearest P2P-optimized servers is better.
Different countries have different perspectives and laws regarding torrenting. Some have strict rules about downloading torrents, while others say it is okay to share them.
The most secure torrenting locations are the ones that don’t abide by strict surveillance or data retention laws. These countries include:
- Spain: You can download or share anything you want via torrents if you are not making money.
- Switzerland: It is okay to download torrents as long as it is for personal use. You can download and use it if you don’t intend to sell someone else’s work.
- Mexico: It is legal to download torrents as there are no rules to forbid it.
- Hungary: The government has already decriminalized torrenting if you will not make a profit.
So, based on data retention laws, these are the best locations for torrenting you can use.
Torrenting laws in different countries
The underlying torrenting technology is fairly legal, and some legal torrenting and file-sharing sites, such as SXSW, are available in the public domain. However, today, it is difficult to distinguish between torrenting and piracy.
Most content found in popular torrenting platforms such as RARBG and The Pirate Bay is pirated and, therefore, illegal. Some media companies may take legal action seeking compensation, or the government authorities can fine you for copyright infringement. Each country has different laws related to copyright infringement and piracy related to torrenting. Let’s look at torrenting laws in some countries:
India
Like many other countries, piracy in India is illegal and could attract jail time or fines. However, it mainly emphasized redistribution rather than personal consumption. Keep in mind that online piracy laws are a bit fuzzy. In 2016, reports suggested that visiting certain torrenting websites would lead to heavy penalties, including jail time and fines. Further scrutiny revealed that it was just a misquoted warning from Indian ISPs after users tried to unblock restricted websites.
Germany
You can be fined up to 1,000 Euros in Germany for downloading copyrighted material. The law is enforced by law firms popularly known as ‘Copyright Trolls’ acting on behalf of copyright holders. The Copyright trolls monitor popular torrenting websites to identify unique IP addresses for downloading or uploading their client’s files. They then use the IP address to get your approximate location and ISP, after which they serve you with threatening letters.
The Netherlands
There is a massive misconception that piracy and copyright infringement are legal in the Netherlands. It is not a crime but a civil offense, and you can be sought out by legal enforcement. So, engaging in piracy could attract a fine even though the law caps the fines and damages. The Dutch Filmworks is mandated by the Netherlands privacy watchdog (Atoriteit Persoongegevens) to collect the IP addresses of users downloading pirated content and fine them 150 Euros.
Australia
In Australia, Piracy is a crime. However, there is little enforcement, even though some copyright holders have successfully sued internet service providers in the past for more torrent identities from whom they seek compensation.
Earlier this year, the ‘three strikes’ rule that required ISPs to notify Torrenters on behalf of copyright holders was abandoned due to disputes over implementation costs. The country has seen many torrenting websites and trackers blocked recently. For instance, in 2016, an Australian court ordered ISPs to block SolarMovies, Kickass, TorrentHound, Torrentz, and ThePirateBay. However, you can still access these websites with a reliable VPN.
Furthermore, the Australian Parliament amended the copyright act 2018 to allow ISPs to censor proxy servers and mirror sites. Search engines such as Google were required to remove links to pirated websites, including their mirrors.
United Kingdom
The UK law requires ISPs with over 400,000 subscribers to notify the subscribers caught downloading torrents to cease. In such cases, the ISPs can disconnect the user or throttle the connection. Additionally, copyright holders can sue downloaders and uploaders for damages. Also, large ISPs in the UK have blocked popular torrent trackers such as ThePirateBay, but you can bypass this with a VPN.
Canada
The Copyright Modernization Act was passed in 2014, requiring internet service providers to notify copyright violators through their networks. If the content was used for noncommercial purposes, the copyright holders cannot sue for more than $5,000 in damages. Besides notifying the copyright violators, the ISP can still penalize torrenters by bandwidth throttling.
United States
Piracy is generally illegal in the US. The ISPs enforce the ‘three strike rule’ when they catch you downloading copyrighted content. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) states that you can be fined up to $250,000 or go to jail for up to five years if found guilty of making unauthorized music copies.
In addition, copyright holders hire trolls who track violators’ IP addresses and send them settlement letters requesting compensation. The trolls can even sue on behalf of the holder, but since all they have is an IP address that does not constitute a legal identity in the US, just ignore them.
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About the Author
Rebecca James is an IT consultant with forward thinking approach toward developing IT infrastructures of SMEs. She writes to engage with individuals and raise awareness of digital security, privacy, and better IT infrastructure.
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