We at SafetyDetectives dont encourage illegal torrenting, and we strongly recommend only using torrents to download legal content.
What Is Torrenting?
Torrenting is the most popular throw in of file-sharing.
With regular file downloads and uploads, users get their files from a centralized server.
With torrenting, users download the files from other users that use the BitTorrent protocol to upload said files.
What Is a Torrent?
Essentially, the torrent file is what you better share content via the BitTorrent protocol.
Torrenting clients are generally free to use.
How Large Are Torrent Files?
Torrent files take up very little space, as theyre only around 2060 KB, on average.
As for the content downloaded via torrent files, the size depends on what youre downloading.
How Does Torrenting Work?
A peer is just a computer that engages with the P2P web connection.
To exemplify this, imagine you wanted to download a 10 GB file.
If you were to download it from a centralized server, youd download the entire file from that server.
What Are the Benefits of Torrenting?
you might torrent on any machine you might install a torrenting client on.
Most people usually torrent on laptops or computers, including Windows, macOS, or Linux devices.
Its technically also possible to torrent on certain smart TVs, like the one running Android TV.
Whats the Difference Between Public and Private Torrenting Sites?
A public torrenting site is available to everyone.
A private torrent site, on the other hand, requires you to have an account to use it.
What Are the Best Torrenting Sites?
Theres also Public Domain Torrents, which only hosts legal torrents.
Most popular torrenting sites are public.
If youre looking for a private site, try IPTorrents.
Many torrent sites might host illegal content, which breaks copyright regulations.
What Is the Best Torrenting Client?
My personal favorite is qBittorrent.
Also, its available for all major desktop platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Is Torrenting Legal?
Torrenting itself is generally legal in most parts of the world.
Most countries criminalize torrenting that goes against copyright regulations.
That said, many countries that have laws against illegal torrenting dont actively enforce them.
I recommend only using torrenting to get access to legal and non-copyrighted content.
What Could Happen If Youre Caught Downloading Illegal Torrents?
Torrenting is generally safe, but there are risks.
Due to its decentralized nature, its easy for cybercriminals to take advantage of torrenting.
Similarly, some torrenting sites might host malicious ads or links.
Accidentally clicking on them could redirect you to a phishing page, or infect your unit with malware.
How to Stay Safe While Torrenting
1.
If you interact with those links, youll end up downloading malware-infected content on your machine.
Also, shady P2P sites might display malicious ads and accidentally clicking on them could compromise your unit.
Thats why I strongly recommendonly using popular torrenting sites, like The Pirate Bay, 1337x, and YTS.mx.
Use a VPN
A VPN is an online app that encrypts your internet traffic, essentially making it unreadable.
Similarly, your ISP wont know that youre accessing P2P sites.
In addition, a VPN also changes your IP address.
Finally, some VPNs even come with ad blockers.
In addition,a good antivirusalso provides great real-time protection that keeps you safe from shady torrenting websites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to torrent?
Torrenting is legal in most parts of the world the legality only changes depending on what you torrent.
Can torrents infect my unit with malware?
Torrent files themselves are unlikely to contain malware, butthey can be used to download malware-infected content.
This is usually the case when dealing with shady P2P sites, or when downloading from unknown uploaders.
What are seeders and leechers?
Seeders and leecher are common torrenting termsthat refer to the users who are actively downloading and uploading a torrent.
