Torrenting is a great way to share files on your computer with others. However, when you download from torrent repositories, you expose yourself to certain privacy and security risks. This guide discusses how safe torrenting is in the US and how you can torrent safer with a VPN.
Every time you download torrents in the US, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) knows. ISPs can see which torrent repositories you visit, who you connect with Peer-to-Peer (P2P), and which files are being downloaded. Unless you use a VPN, all your torrent activities are monitored.
Torrenting in the US also exposes you to the threat of hackers. When you share or download torrent files, you connect directly with other peers in the swarm. All the other users can detect your IP address. If there are any hackers lurking, they could probe your network for vulnerabilities. This can lead to serious malware infections, which is why you should conceal your IP address from other users by using a VPN.
Although a VPN makes it much safer to torrent in the US, not all VPN services are suitable. Some VPNs are too slow for torrenting, while others do not offer the necessary protection needed to gain watertight privacy and protection against hackers. In this guide, we will discuss how to torrent safely in the US and recommend VPNs that are effective for preventing ISP and government tracking.
How safe is torrenting in the US?
It is estimated that around 4 million people in the US torrent regularly. Although visiting torrent sites and downloading torrent files in the US is generally safe, it is essential to understand how to engage in torrenting safely. The most important thing to remember is that it is possible to torrent safely and dangerously in America. Which of these you choose is your decision.
If you use a VPN to torrent in America, you will protect yourself against all potential threats, meaning you will have nothing to worry about. However, before we explain what a VPN is and why you need one to torrent safely in America, we should first examine the main threats.
Can ISPs see my torrents in the US?
Yes. When you torrent in America, your ISP knows. Your ISP provides your gateway to the internet, and they can monitor every website or IP address you visit. American ISPs can see which torrent repositories you visit, which swarms you join, which peers you download pieces from, and what files you are downloading.
The important thing to remember is that although the US does not implement mandatory data retention directives, ISPs are allowed to retain data and sell it. In 2017, the US Congress voted to repeal privacy rules for ISPs that were issued by the Federal Communications Commission during the Obama administration. ISPs can sell users’ browsing histories and online activities without their knowledge or permission.
The ability to create a revenue stream from people’s internet activity data opens a can of worms, particularly when it comes to torrenting. Attorneys working on behalf of copyright holders can request information from ISPs about US citizens who visited or downloaded a torrent file.
This provision creates serious privacy risks for users who engage in torrenting and opens the door to prospective invoicing – a practice that law firms use to recoup losses incurred from piracy.
Unless you use a VPN to prevent your ISP from monitoring your torrents, it is possible that your torrent information may be passed to US authorities, law firms, and any other third party willing to pay to see your web history.
What is prospective invoicing?
Prospective invoicing is a practice used by attorneys working with copyright holders to coerce people into paying a fee. Attorneys contact ISPs and ask them to provide information about any users who visited a specific torrent site or file. The law firm then sends letters to those users, stating they will be taken to court unless they pay a settlement. Sometimes these settlements are quite high.
Law firms rarely plan to take the individuals to whom they send letters to court. Instead, they use prospective invoicing letters to scare people into paying a settlement, creating a revenue stream for their client (the copyright holder).
In rare cases, copyright holders may decide to litigate against pirates. American ISPs are allowed to sell user browsing history information to third parties, which allows attorneys working on behalf of copyright holders to find targets.
In addition, copyright trolls connect to popular torrents and collect IP addresses from the swarm. They take those IP addresses to ISPs, who can link it to your account. The ISP can then send your contact information to the troll or forward the settlement letter to you.
The latter is more common, and often, ISPs don’t divulge your identity. Many ISPs throw out DMCAs/settlement letters and just send customers a strongly worded warning instead (at least on the first offense).
Are you at risk of hackers when torrenting in the US?
Unless you protect yourself by using a VPN, you are at risk of hacking when you torrent. The BitTorrent protocol is a technology that allows people to share files directly over the internet without needing a central server for each file. This method lets users quickly download the files they need from multiple sources. The pieces of the torrent files from different users are stitched together at the end.
The danger is that you must connect directly (known as Peer-to-Peer) with other users. When you connect P2P with other users, any of those peers can detect your IP address. This creates the opportunity for hackers to snoop around. Cybercriminals often lurk in popular torrent swarms, gathering each user’s IP address and then probing those networks for potential vulnerabilities.
If a hacker probes your network and finds a hole, they may add your devices to a botnet, use your network resources to mine cryptocurrencies, infect your devices with malware to perform data theft and fraud, or leverage your network to send spam, carry out DDoS attacks, or engage in other malicious activities.
Unless you protect yourself by hiding your IP address from the torrent swarm, you could be attacked by hackers, leading to very serious repercussions.
Furthermore, the files you download via BitTorrent could be infected with malware. A VPN will not help if you willingly download an infected file, so only torrent files you trust.
Will I download malware when torrenting?
When you download a torrent, there is a risk that you could accidentally download malware, such as viruses, spyware, and ransomware. There are dozens of torrent repositories, and they are not all safe.
Some torrent sites have an active community that moderates torrents to warn users if a download is dangerous. This allows users to rate torrents, leave comments, and ultimately warn against any malicious torrents used by hackers to disseminate malware.
Unfortunately, not all torrent sites are created equally, and it is not always possible to join the best torrent repositories because they are often invite-only. You will need to make friends with someone who is already a member.
Check the reputation of each file, ensure it has been downloaded many times safely by other users, and always scan downloaded files using a good antivirus.
How can I torrent safely in the US?
The easiest way to protect your privacy and secure your network against hackers when torrenting is to use a reliable VPN for torrenting. However, not all VPNs are suitable for torrenting.
Many VPNs have slow servers that make it difficult to download torrents. In addition, some VPN providers deliberately block P2P connections so their servers do not work for torrenting. Some VPNs implement a NAT firewall that impacts users’ ability to torrent.
The best VPNs for torrenting will provide rock-solid encryption and other important features that ensure you can torrent safely. Later in this guide, we have listed the most important VPN features needed to torrent safely in the US.
As long as you stick to a recommended VPN for torrenting, it is easy to secure your activities. However, we understand that VPNs can seem confusing to newcomers. Every VPN we recommend comes with a kill switch, which will cut off your internet connection if the VPN connection is disrupted for any reason. This will prevent you from exposing your real IP address while torrenting.
We have included a step-by-step guide below to make things as straightforward as possible.
How to safely download torrents in the USA with a VPN:
- Choose a reliable VPN for torrenting. We recommend NordVPN because it offers fast protocols, servers optimized for torrenting, and robust security features that ensure your downloads remain private at all times. Alternatively, you can try Surfshark a superb VPN for torrenting that secures your data without breaking the bank – or IPVanish a fast VPN that includes all the features needed to share files securely.
- Navigate to the VPN’s website. By following our link, you can get a subscription to one of the best VPNs for torrenting at the lowest possible cost.
- Subscribe to the VPN. You will need to provide an email address and a valid payment method. Our recommendations offer larger discounts for people who subscribe longer, so consider how long you will need a VPN and choose the best discount available depending on your needs.
- Download and install the VPN software. Once you have subscribed to the VPN you can download the VPN software onto your device. Our recommendations have apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux – allowing you to use the VPN with any popular torrent client and on any device.
- Connect to a VPN server. The VPNs we have recommended have large global server networks. This allows you to get an IP address on any continent. This is useful for visiting a country where torrent sites are blocked, such as Australia. To get the best speeds for torrenting, we recommend connecting to a closer VPN server. (To get privacy for torrenting within America, connect to a server in the US, as this will ensure you get the best speeds for torrenting.)
- Launch your torrent client and start torrenting. Now that your VPN is connected, you can start torrenting. Any files you share or download will now be hidden from your ISP and your IP address is no longer visible to other users in the swarm. This ensures you are protected against hackers. Be sure to turn on the kill switch if it isn’t already enabled!
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What are the best VPNs for safe torrenting in the US?
- NordVPN: The best VPN for torrenting safely in America. Offers reliable performance and robust security features to protect users. It maintains a strict no-logs policy, ensuring your activities remain private. With very fast speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s a top choice for safe torrenting.
- Surfshark: An excellent low-cost option for torrenting in the US. It supports unlimited simultaneous connections and provides unlimited bandwidth. The VPN delivers high speeds, solid security, and a strict zero-logs policy.
- IPVanish: A reliable VPN for torrenting without being tracked in America. It offers excellent security features, including strong encryption, and is compatible with popular torrent clients across major operating systems.
- ExpressVPN: Known for its consistently fast speeds, making it perfect for torrenting safely in the US. It has a no-logs policy, a kill switch for added security, and is user-friendly across all devices.
- PrivateVPN: PrivateVPN is a solid option for P2P file sharing, offering port forwarding and maintaining a strict no-logs policy. It provides extremely fast connections with no noticeable speed loss.
- PureVPN: PureVPN offers a fully audited no-logs policy, ensuring your data remains private. With a low starting price, it’s an affordable and secure option for torrenting in the US.
- ProtonVPN: A highly advanced VPN with port forwarding. Strong on privacy and reliability. It includes pro-torrenting features such as port forwarding and split tunneling.
What features does a reliable VPN for torrenting need?
At Comparitech, we use a precise VPN testing methodology to test and review market-leading VPNs. Follow the link to learn more about how we test and recommend VPNs.
Our tests involve checking the VPN’s privacy policy, testing the app’s features, and analyzing the encryption implementation. We also consider the VPN’s download performance for torrenting.
For a VPN to be useful for torrenting, it must have certain privacy and security features. Below, we have included a list of features to look for when choosing a reliable VPN for torrenting:
- Robust AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption
- A kill switch
- DNS leak protection
- Obfuscation
- A no-logging policy
- Diskless servers that run in RAM
- Fully audited service
- Fast servers that allow torrenting
- Port forwarding (makes it easier to torrent with some clients)
Is Torrenting illegal in the US?
No. The act of sharing files using the BitTorrent protocol is not illegal in America, and you will not be penalized for sharing legitimate files Peer-to-Peer. Users are free to share any files they own and control as long as they do not infringe on copyright.
Although torrenting itself is legal, sharing copyrighted content remains illegal and could potentially lead to fines or prosecution. Users should not download or share copyrighted music, videos, literature, or software.
Please remember that we are not attorneys, and nothing in this guide should be taken as legal advice. Always do your own research, and remember that torrenting is at your own risk.
Do US citizens torrent pirated movies?
Yes. The latest statistics reveal that US citizens view pirated movies around 15 billion times yearly. This is hugely concerning because engaging in piracy is illegal and could potentially lead to repercussions, including fines.
Do I need a VPN to torrent safely in the US?
Yes. A VPN encrypts your internet connection, preventing local networks, ISPs, government agencies, and other eavesdroppers from tracking your web visits, metadata, and downloads.
A VPN also conceals your IP address from the websites and peers you connect to. This added layer of privacy protects your network against hackers lurking in torrent swarms. You can read our guide to the best VPNs to see which providers are the highest-rated.
Additional tips for torrenting safely
Besides using a VPN, which is crucial to torrent safely in the US, we have included a few other tips and tricks below. Using these tips will help you to stay safer and avoid dangerous downloads when torrenting:
- Use a reliable torrent site: Always do your research and stay away from torrent sites that have a dangerous reputation.
- Stick to legal torrents: We recommend always sticking to legal downloads in order to avoid repercussions.
- Keep your torrent client up-to-date: An out-of-date torrent client could introduce new vulnerabilities and allow hackers to penetrate your network or device to engage in data theft, identity theft, and fraud.
- Check seeds carefully: Always choose torrents with a high number of seeders to get safer downloads.
- Read comments: Check the comments on torrent sites to ensure the file’s safety based on user feedback.
- Check file type carefully: Avoid suspicious file extensions, especially “.exe” files, when expecting videos or other formats.
- Download to a sandbox: If you launch torrent files in a sandboxed environment, such as a virtual machine, you can avoid malware from infecting your machine.
- Join a reputable torrent community: Well-known torrenting communities make it safer to share files but joining one may be invite only. You can make friends and get an invite via third-party platforms such as Reddit, Discord, Twitch, and Twitter.
- Install a reliable antivirus with real-time scanning: A decent antivirus should flag and quarantine any dangerous files when you download them.
- Always use a VPN with a reliable protocol: The best VPNs use protocols like WireGuard, IKEv2, or OpenVPN, which include reliable encryption. Older VPNs may use unreliable protocols such as PPTP, which must be avoided.
- Enable IP binding to your VPN: You can configure your torrent client to use a specific IP address. This ensures that the Torrent client always connects through your chosen VPN service.
- Enable the kill switch: The kill switch halts all internet traffic going to and from your device if the VPN unexpectedly disconnects, ensuring your real IP address is never exposed. Most good VPN apps include kill switches.
