How safe is seeding in uTorrent? This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. I was wondering how safe is it to seed in uTorrent? If one would seed any misc files on uTorrent, does he get cut and sude in the future? Tell me ins and outs of seeding please!? You are at risk if you are using. How does uTorrent determine if a file is harmful or not? Jump to content. General; µTorrent. Existing user? Remember me Not recommended on shared computers. Sign in anonymously. Forgot your password? UTorrent 'this torrent contains files that may harm your computer' Archived.

1. How To Use Torrent Files
2. How Danger To Download Torrent Files For Pc

Are you a torrenting enthusiast in the United States? We’re sure you want to hold on to that privilege—and you should!

• Learn to download torrents and drown in a deluge of files. So before we get into the meat of how to download and use torrent files safely and legally, let’s cover some important terminology.
• How to torrent safely (without getting viruses or malware)? Look at the file extension in your download directory, if it says.exe or something like that it's an.

But if you’re file sharing without protecting yourself, your activity, and your computer, then your fun could turn into a major headache. In short, you need a virtual private network (VPN).

Between serious security threats and rapidly increasing lawsuits from aggressive copyright “trolls,” downloading torrents in the US has become a dangerous activity. In addition, your connection speed could be cut by your ISP (more about this later).

If you don’t want to risk paying fines and losing your digital privacy, a VPN is the answer.

With a VPN, you can secure your connection and hide your identity online—but not all VPNs are equal. Only some providers give you the features and performance you need for safe, fast, and easy torrenting.

So how do you know which VPN to choose? We’re here to help you with our roundup of the best VPN services for downloading torrents in the US.

Before we dive in, here’s a short, step-by-step snapshot of how to torrent in the US with no worries.

Quick Guide: Secure US Torrenting with a VPN

1. Choose a VPN that allows peer-to-peer connections and keeps zero user logs. CyberGhost is our top suggestion—see the full scoop below for the reasons why.
2. Open an account and download the VPN software. Choose a P2P server close to your actual location for the best results.
3. Launch your torrenting program—make sure the VPN is on!
4. Enjoy better security and anonymity while downloading torrents.

Why You Need a VPN for Torrenting in the US

What actually is torrenting? Torrenting is file sharing via peer-to-peer (P2P) connections. File sharing (of non-copyrighted content) is perfectly legal—but torrent fans still face a few serious challenges, especially in the US.

Copyright trolls

If you’re torrenting without protection, your first major concern comes from copyright trolls.

These companies, usually acting on behalf of big movie studios and music labels, are overly aggressive and could target you even if you download only non-copyrighted content. Results range from warning letters to large fines and even the threat of jail time—not pleasant things to contemplate.

How To Use Torrent Files

Copyright trolls have been very active in the US since the late 2000s. In 2018, more than 3,300 lawsuits were directed at BitTorrent users.

With the rise of copyright trolls, gone are the days when torrenting-related lawsuits were mainly a scare tactic. The trolls aim to expose the torrent user and settle the case out of court—usually for thousands of dollars. It has become just another way to make money, with many comparing it to extortion.

This trend is alarming, but it’s not the only problem for P2P users.

Suspicious torrenting sites

If a torrenting site is deemed to be facilitating or enabling the sharing of copyrighted material—otherwise known as piracy—it can be blocked or shut down indefinitely.

Many torrenting sites have been closed down within the US. This action, far from stopping the illegal use of torrenting and file sharing, actually puts users at greater risk.

As trusted and upstanding sites disappear, shadier ones often take their place. These usually have annoying pop-up ads and suspicious torrents from unverified uploaders, exposing you to malware and viruses.

It takes just one wrong click before you “invite” a hacker into your machine. From there, your personal data may be accessed and sold, or your system may get hijacked completely.

In short, without the additional security and data protection of a VPN, torrenting is no longer safe in the US.

Connection throttling

Torrenting is heavy on your bandwidth. Downloading big files at high speeds takes a lot—in many cases, more bandwidth than your internet service provider (ISP) is willing to give.

Many ISPs in the US will intentionally slow you down if they see you’ve been using up “too much” data. This shady practice is called throttling, and it isn’t limited to just torrents. (Have you ever noticed your internet acting up when you’re streaming Netflix in HD?)

It might not be as random as you think. That’s why you need to be able to hide what you’re doing from your ISP.

What Happens if You Get Caught Torrenting

If you’re caught torrenting by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), you face many serious issues. ISPs can immediately identify which of their customers are using P2P software and take action – unless you’re using a VPN.

The first response to expect – even if you’re not breaking copyright law – is having your internet speed deliberately slowed down. This is the ‘connection throttling’ we discussed earlier. While not a legal issue, it’s incredibly inconvenient and you may not even know it’s happening.

At the same time, your ISP will record you for torrenting on a database they are legally required to keep (more on this below). They will also record what you were torrenting, in case of copyright infringement.

Once you’ve been caught and recorded by your ISP, expect a warning letter threatening to cut off your internet connection if you continue. If you ignore the warnings, you’ll lose your connection and possibly be blacklisted among other ISPs.

Every ISP in the USA is required to keep a record of all their customers caught torrenting. This database can be subpoenaed by the government at any time and forwarded to copyright agencies. Most ISPs voluntarily give the government and copyright agencies access to their records on a regular basis.

Once the copyright agencies – the ‘trolls’ already mentioned – have your personal details, they will target you with legal action. This starts with a letter threatening a massive fine. If you refuse to pay the fine or ignore the letter altogether, you will face further threats and a court case. If you have been caught consistently breaching copyright laws, you may also be threatened with jail time.

To dispute the charges and have the fines reduced, you must go to court, defending yourself against the copyright trolls. For most people, the legal process ends in paying an out-of-court settlement to the copyright trolls.

From the first warning letter to final settlement, this can all take months. The whole affair is incredibly stressful, time-consuming and expensive.

The only way to stop it happening you is to use a VPN.

How a VPN Makes Torrenting Safe

As you can see, torrenting in the US is not so simple if you want to preserve your security (or even internet quality). Fortunately, with a solid VPN you have nothing to worry about.

The most important part is to mask your P2P traffic and make it undetectable.

A VPN secures your connection by changing your IP address and encrypting your data, so it remains private. When you connect to a special torrenting server provided by the VPN, you effectively hide the details of your traffic—including the P2P portion of it.

You’ll be hidden even from your ISP; at most, it will only see that you’re connected to a VPN server.

Here’s what this means for you: Your data will remain safe from hackers and snoopers, and your ISP won’t throttle your speed or get the chance to spy on you.

In addition, if you do accidentally download copyrighted material from a torrent site, it can’t be traced back to you, saving you from a potential lawsuit and hefty fines. Of course, we do not condone video or music piracy, but we do believe that you should be able to share copyright-free files without fear of being targeted by copyright trolls.

Not all VPNs support P2P connections for torrenting, so choosing your service carefully is crucial. Luckily, we’ve done the legwork for you.

Below, you’ll find the five most suitable VPN providers for downloading torrents. Happy torrenting!

The Best VPNs for Torrenting in the US

1. CyberGhost

Easy to use and feature rich

CyberGhost VPN has one of the best user interfaces around, and torrenting is made easy with a dedicated P2P profile.

It shows you which of the 3,500+ servers are best for downloading torrents, including useful info on server distance, load, and real-time users.

Other notable features of this VPN include DNS leak protection and a kill switch. The Smart Rules tab gives you additional ways to customize your connection.

An ideal service for experts and beginners, CyberGhost is a hassle-free VPN for torrenting (and anything else). But don’t just take our word for it—see what users are saying in their reviews!

Money-back guarantee:

• 45 days for 6-month plan and higher; 14 days for monthly plan

CyberGhost can unblock:

• Dedicated streaming profile with servers optimized for: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Sky Go, Hulu, Comedy Central, Eurosport, ESPN, and others.

Supports torrenting:

• Yes; dedicated profile shows countries and number of users.

CyberGhost works on these devices:

• Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire Stick, Android TV, Linux, and Chrome.

2.NordVPN

Best value for torrenting fans in the US

With over 4,400 P2P servers (out of 5,100+ in 61 countries) and easy access from the built-in P2P profile, NordVPN is a leader for torrenting.

This Panama-based VPN operates under a strict no-logging policy, so you’ll be completely safe and hidden. The proprietary CyberSec suite blocks malware and suspicious ads, and you get two different kill switches to stop your traffic in case the VPN disconnects.

You can even set up your torrent client with a SOCKS5 proxy for faster downloading. NordVPN offers instructions on how to do that for BitTorrent, uTorrent, Vuze, and Deluge.

Overall, NordVPN is a fast, reliable service with a huge network and all the torrenting features you need. This, combined with the excellent price, makes it a great choice—and many users agree in their reviews.

Money-back guarantee:

• 30 days

NordVPN can unblock:

How Danger To Download Torrent Files For Pc

• Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Showtime, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Sling TV.

Supports torrenting:

• Yes, P2P specialty servers available.

NordVPN works on these devices:

• Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox. It’s also compatible with routers.

3. ExpressVPN

The fastest VPN for torrenting

If speed is your top priority, you’ll love ExpressVPN’s blazing-fast network.

All 3,000+ servers support P2P traffic, so torrenting is a one-click task. The built-in speed test allows you to find suitable locations with ease. Alternatively, you can let the software pick the best option with the quick-connect feature.

ExpressVPN also offers split tunneling, which you can use to make certain apps bypass the VPN. That way, you can customize the VPN exclusively for torrenting.

The AES-256 encryption, OpenVPN support, and kill switch make this VPN not only fast, but secure as well. Your sensitive data will remain off-limits to everyone, thanks to the tight zero-logs policy. All this makes ExpressVPN a crowd favorite.

Money-back guarantee:

• 30 days

ExpressVPN can unblock:

• Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, Showtime, Sling TV, DAZN, and BBC iPlayer.

Supports torrenting:

• Yes, all servers support P2P activity.

ExpressVPN works on these devices:

• Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox. It also offers an app for use with certain routers.

4. Surfshark

Premium value at a budget price

Surfshark’s network gives you 800+ servers in over 50 countries. With full P2P support, this VPN is another great pick for torrent enthusiasts.

As a new provider, Surfshark is also running some nice perks. One of them is the unlimited number of simultaneous connections—super useful if you want VPN protection for the entire house.

You also get split tunneling with the WhiteLister feature, and obfuscated servers to bypass internet restrictions, thanks to the NoBorders mode. All in all, this new VPN offers amazing value at a very reasonable price, and is quickly becoming another user favorite.

Money-back guarantee:

• 30 days

Surfshark can unblock:

• Netflix, Hulu, CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and others.

Supports torrenting:

• Yes, all servers support P2P activity.

Surfshark works on these devices:

• Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, FireTV, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox.

5. IPVanish

An excellent torrent-friendly VPN

Despite being an American provider, IPVanish has a lot to offer when it comes to torrenting. 1,200+ servers in 60+ countries give you plenty of locations to choose from, and the lack of US data-retention laws allows for a legitimate no-logging policy.

Security is well covered, thanks to strong 256-bit encryption and native OpenVPN support. IPVanish also offers SOCKS5 proxies, which you can use together with your torrent program for better speeds.

The stylish, intuitive apps come with a kill switch and DNS/IPv6 leak protection. Sadly, there isn’t a separate torrenting tab, so you’ll have to pick a suitable location from the long server list—a small drawback, considering all the neat features you get.

The combination of speed, security, and stability puts IPVanish in our top five VPNs for torrenting. For more info on this reliable service, take a look at the various reviews from real users.

Money-back guarantee:

• 7 days

IPVanish can unblock:

• Netflix, BBC iPlayer.

Supports torrenting:

• Yes.

IPVanish works on these devices:

• Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, FireTV, Windows Phone, Linux, Chromebook, Routers.

Conclusion

What you’ve heard is true: file-sharing in the US can quickly turn into a massive headache. With a solid VPN, you can remove the risk and torrent away in peace. A quality service from our list will help you avoid costly lawsuits, while keeping you safe and hidden online.

Still not sure which VPN is the right one for you? Try CyberGhost VPN, our #1 recommendation, for a test drive—its easy user interface and solid security protections make it ideal for experts and beginners!

Further Reading

Looking for a great deal on your next VPN? Find it with our exclusive VPN coupon codes!

You’ve got your VPN—now it’s time to find some great torrents. Check out the 10 most popular torrent sites.

Suspecting your ISP of foul play? Learn how to torrent even faster and block bandwidth throttling.

uTorrent or BitTorrent? See which one is the faster torrent client with our in-depth comparison.

Secure your P2P traffic in the US and elsewhere with the best VPNs for torrents.

Downloading torrents and taking part in P2P (peer-to-peer) file transfer is often associated with illegal activities. Even though torrenting does have a bad reputation, there are numerous misconceptions surrounding it. Therefore, we understand that many of you are concerned. You might be asking is it illegal to download torrents? Is torrenting safe, and will you get caught? This article will try to provide answers to all your questions.

Disclaimer: TechNadu does not condone illegal file sharing or copyright infringement. Even though P2P file sharing technology is legal, many of the files exchanged via P2P are indeed copyrighted. Uploading these copyrighted files can put you at risk of a civil lawsuit. While these lawsuits are often class-action cases, some have been targeted at individual users in an attempt to make an example of them.

Torrenting Safeguards

Many of you will be surprised to know that your Internet browsing is fully visible by ISPs (Internet Service Providers). These companies have the power to collect your personal data and hand it over to third parties. Therefore, it’s imperative to keep your data protected and inaccessible to anyone who tries to collect it. This is especially important if you plan on downloading and sharing torrent files.

TechNadu strongly recommends using ExpressVPN to encrypt your Internet connection, change your IP, and make your device impenetrable to malware. This particular VPN software scored the highest in our tests, which can be seen in our ExpressVPN review. Use the provided link to read all you need to know about this easy to use and highly powerful application.

Make sure to sign-up for ExpressVPN and enjoy the Internet as it should be – open and without any privacy concerns.

Torrent (Peer-to-Peer) Networks: The Basics

To help you to understand potential legal problems surrounding torrent files, we need to take a step back. That’s why we will begin from the core – by explaining what are torrents and potential roles of different participants. Therefore, let’s get started.

What is The BitTorrent Protocol?

The BitTorrent protocol (or simply said – torrenting) is a way of sharing files without a centralized infrastructure. As you probably know, there are different ways to download files on the Web. However, most of these methods involve a server that stores downloadable files. By downloading those files, you copy them to your device. However, the BitTorrent protocol is something else.

Without a centralized server, torrents rely on individual devices. Every user that downloads torrents (these users are called leechers) uploads the files and downloads them at the same time. Once that user downloads the files in their entirety, they become seeders who simply share that file with the rest of the community. As you can see, we have seeders who have the files and are actively sharing them, and leechers who are downloading those files and becoming seeders at some point.

What’s the Deal with Torrent Files?

Torrent files are files that you download from the Web that come with the ‘.torrent’ extension. To download a movie, for example, you need to download that movie’s torrent file and open that file in one of the popular torrent clients. In other words, torrent files are very small in size and they don’t contain the movie you want to download. They simply have the information where to look for that movie – and to take bits of it from the other users’ computers.

As it’s clear by now, torrent files are perfectly safe. For example, let’s say that you have a torrent file of the newest movie that’s still in cinema. Unless you use that torrent file to download the actual movie, you’re staying on the safe side of the law. However, problems arise when you activate that torrent via torrent client and take part in the file sharing process.

Is It Illegal to Download Torrents?

Sharing torrent files on the Web has two equally important components. First, there are torrent repositories, and then there are users (seeders and leechers). Let’s take a closer look at the legality of downloading torrents by taking a look at both of these components.

In its core, torrenting is legal and safe. After all, this is just a file transfer protocol. However, what might be illegal are copyrighted files that are being shared via this transfer method. This is where a range of popular torrent websites come into play. Unless you stick to purely legal torrent sites, you will find yourself in a legal grey area. The main role of torrent websites is to act as repositories of torrent files. This means that they collect and organize information – they don’t host any copyrighted material on their servers. As you can imagine, not everyone thinks this way. Several popular websites were under serious legal attacks in the past by content creators and distributors.

Then, we have torrent users who often take the blame. This is where we have two types of users, and those are seeders and leechers. Legally speaking, these two types of users fall into different categories. While leechers are downloading files intentionally since they want to use them, seeders are distributors. In a very strange way, this is similar to selling drugs. Leechers are those who think of buying illegal drugs, which is a crime but a minor one. However, selling drugs (distribution) is a much more serious offense. In addition, those who create illegal drugs are the head of this problem. This means that a person who leaked and created a torrent of a movie that’s still in cinemas (for example) has to take the biggest blame here.

The Legal Consequences of Torrenting

You are most probably reading this article because you’re afraid of what happens if you’re caught, aside from asking is it illegal to download torrents. In addition, you’ve probably heard about one of two cases from the past. As you know, identifying torrent users isn’t the number one problem for anti-piracy groups. However, since ISPs (Internet Service Providers) can filter your traffic, there is a chance that you might get caught.

In general, prosecution of torrent users is often seen as scare tactics. Instead of pursuing hundreds of torrenters, anti-piracy groups are more willing to focus on a few prominent ones. This happens with hopes that other torrenters will become scared and give up. In general, there are different consequences of torrenting, so keep on reading.

Copyright Trolls

These days, you will hardly receive a letter directly from a major Hollywood movie studio. That’s because this job has been outsourced to small businesses, often called copyright trolls. The primary goal of these businesses is to identify torrent users who illegally download copyrighted content by using IP addresses. Once a torrenter is identified, these companies approach copyright holders. Then, copyright trolls take the job into their hands and approach identified torrent users.

If you’re one of the identified torrent users, copyright trolls will try to contact you by mail, email, or even in person. What they’re doing at this stage is handing out settlement letters. However, you need to know that these letters are not legally binding documents! Instead, these businesses use scare tactics to make you think that you can get away by paying a certain amount. For example, they might threaten to sue you for $100,000 for copyright infringement. Then, they might offer you a chance to pay $2,000 in the settlement. As you can see, those $2,000 all of the sudden sound like a good deal. Instead, you can choose to go to court, which is often too costly and risky for all parties involved.

What If You Receive a Settlement Letter?

The most common way of receiving a settlement letter is by your Internet service provider (ISP). A copyright troll will first discover your IP address. Since they don’t have your name yet, they’ll go through the court system to contact your ISP. That’s why you will receive a legal threat from your ISP and not from a copyright troll.

If you’re contacted by your ISP, this means that the copyright troll doesn’t have your name just yet. In case the settlement letter doesn’t contain any identifying information, you don’t have to do anything. The chances are that your case will be dismissed before your ISP manages to reveal your personal details. You should also know that if you respond to the settlement letter, you might reveal your identity which gives greater power to the copyright troll.

In case you reveal your personal information or if things escalate, it’s recommended to hire a lawyer. Check out a list of attorneys (published by the Electronic Frontier Foundation) that specialize in cases like these.

Possible Actions by Your ISP

You should also know that your ISP might take certain actions to discourage you from downloading torrent files. For example, these companies have the power to throttle your Internet connection. In addition, some ISPs might work with copyright trolls and offer your personal information in a timely manner. After all, torrenting usually takes a lot of bandwidth which costs ISPs money.

How to Protect Yourself Online

As you can imagine, the safest way to prevent any legal action from happening is to avoid torrenting. However, if you absolutely insist on downloading torrent files, there are certain things you should do to keep yourself protected.

Employ a VPN for Torrenting

At this moment, the most effective way to protect yourself is by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). These are very simple applications that aren’t only great for torrenting, but also for encryption your connection. Here’s a quick overview of what VPN applications can do:

• VPNs work by rerouting your Internet traffic through a secure server in a location of your choosing. This means that your traffic will be encrypted and you will receive a new IP address. In other words, no one will be able to track you online;
• By changing your IP address, you can ‘change’ your physical location. That’s how you can access online services not available in your city or country;
• Finally, VPNs can be a very effective way to keep malware off your computer. Some of the popular applications of this kind employ incredibly strong encryption standards, thus preventing malicious files from accessing your device.

Finally, you should also know that you need to go for a premium-priced service. Typically priced at around $10 per month, VPNs could be your best ally when downloading torrents. Make sure to check out the best VPNs for torrenting. In case, if you want us to suggest you the one best VPN for torrenting, then we strictly recommend you to use an ExpressVPN.

Torrenting Vs. Streaming

During the last few years, streaming has been on the rise. In many ways, it managed to replace torrenting. This is mostly because streaming can be done in your Web browser or via specialized applications like Kodi. However, things are much different when it comes to the law.

You are still breaking the law if you stream copyrighted content. However, this depends on your country. For example, the UK has very strict laws that prohibit illegal streaming. In the USA, this is still a grey area and there aren’t any cases of individuals being convicted for piracy after streaming copyrighted content online.

It is also worth noting that laws are usually lenient toward streaming. That’s why anti-piracy groups are focused on those who provide illegal streams since they can be identified. On the other hand, it can be very hard to identify individuals who are using those streams. Thanks to the involvement of third parties, torrenting is associated with IP addresses – which is where legal problems for torrents usually start.

Additional Tips & Tricks

Finally, we think it might be helpful if you know a few tips and tricks. If employed properly, these can do a long way. So, make sure to carefully read the following segment:

• It’s advisable not to download recently released movies, especially big-name blockbusters. That’s because this is a period when movie studios make a lot of money, right after a movie is released on DVD and Blu-Ray. If you wait for two or three months after the release date, the chances are that you won’t attract unneeded attention.
• Maybe you’re using Popcorn Time to stream movies. What you don’t know is that Popcorn Time relies on torrents for streaming. This means that your IP address will still be visible, and you might get caught by a copyright troll.
• Be wary when choosing a torrent file to download. Always make sure to check out possible comments that will tell you if certain torrents are monitored. In fact, the comments section is a good way to check for potential malware as well. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t check for viruses by yourself.

Additional Resources: What’s Next?

Now that we talked about is it illegal to download torrents, we recommend you to check out additional resources. These can expand your knowledge about torrents.

• Our guide on how torrents work is a great starting point if you’re just diving into this world;
• Then, don’t forget to read our guide on how to download torrents. This easy and quick guide will tell you all you need to know.
• Finally, make sure to know how to safely download torrents and avoid numerous potential dangers.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, folks! We hope that we answered your question about is it illegal to download torrents. If you have any additional doubts, don’t hesitate to post a comment below.

If you think other torrenters might benefit from reading this article, why not share it online? Thanks!