Are you using torrents to download movies, music, software, and games? You could be caught torrenting if you do. It is illegal to distribute copyrighted material and share files. However, a VPN can help you avoid being caught torrenting.
A VPN makes torrenting easier as it hides your P2P activity. However, there are very few instances where people get into trouble with VPNs.
Let’s first look at the consequences of being caught torrenting.
What happens to you if your torrenting?
The consequences of illegal file sharing vary depending on where you live. Copyright laws are very strict in countries like the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. You could be fined if you are caught torrenting.
What happens if you are caught torrenting?
- Warning Letter: The first time you are caught torrenting, you will receive a warning letter regarding copyright infringement.
- Terminated internet service: Some ISPs have such strict policies that they will immediately cut your internet if they notice you torrenting. This is very common in the US.
- The most severe punishment for copyright infringement is In Australia and Germany, the fines for torrenting copyrighted material are staggeringly high.
- Take your device with you: In rare cases, authorities may be able to take your device as evidence. It will depend on how much material you have torrented and the extent of the operation.
How to get caught torrenting
Here are some ways to get caught torrenting.
- Without a VPN, you start downloading torrents. This is monitored.
- The torrent tracker now knows your IP address
- Your ISP’s location can be found by your IP address
- ISP is informed that copyright infringement occurred
- ISP can see who is using the IP address and sends you the copyright violation notice
- This is followed by either legal action or no action at all. Do not take this as a rule. Germany, for instance, is extremely strict about torrenting and immediately issues fines.
- If you don’t use a VPN to hide torrenting, you will be punished.
The Story of a friend
One man came from the country torrenting is widespread and nobody cares. He decided to go to Germany to study. He used to download a lot of music and movies back then, and continued doing so while he was in Germany. He received a notice a month later with a date to appear in court for copyright violations. His laptop was taken to court as evidence and he was fined 1500 Eur.
How can you catch torrenting using a VPN
A VPN hides your true IP address when torrenting. It hides your IP address from trackers and ISPs. However, torrenting can still be illegal if you use a VPN. Two reasons can lead to this: your VPN provider may leak your IP or it might not fully support P2P traffic.
IP address leaks
When torrenting using a VPN, it is important to protect your IP from leaks. A VPN server can not send you any information in bite-size that might reveal your identity.
An Internet Kill Switch is a feature of the best VPN services. This feature will prevent accidental VPN disconnections. It’s also useful if you forget to close BitTorrent client, and torrents are still running.
Be aware that torrenting can be caught even with a VPN if it isn’t technically advanced.
VPN torrenting support
Some VPNs do not support torrenting. To avoid being caught, you need to choose the right VPN. While torrenting isn’t illegal in general, copyrighted content is. While torrenting is not illegal in general, copyrighted material sharing is.
Real-life example. Reddit users have reported that they received a DMCA notice by their ISP despite using a VPN. This was because the VPN service didn’t openly support torrenting. According to the Terms of Service, a company can report any copyright violation.
Even if you have a VPN, torrenting can still be done. It is important to choose the right VPN.
Find out which VPNs are best for torrenting, and how to pick the right one
Conclusion
You can’t be caught using the right VPN to torrent. It hides information from ISPs and authorities, which in turn protects your privacy. You could be fined and even have your devices taken away if you torrent without a VPN.
Here are some suggestions for VPNs that support and hide torrenting.
|
Rank |
VPN Service |
Rating |
Website |
|
1 |
 |
||
|
2 |
 |
||
|
3 |
 |
||
|
4 |
 |
||
|
5 |
 |
