The Safest and Most Dangerous Countries for Torrenting
Despite this, there are some positives to those looking to use a Netherlands server for torrenting. The country still has relatively lax laws around the use of copyrighted materials. While this is technically illegal, it’s rare for the government to enforce these rules. Recently, though, groups have been blocking access to sites like Pirate Bay.
The safest countries to download torrents (ranked best to worst)
Filesharing networks (like BitTorrent) are popular worldwide, but there’s no unified rule about how torrent websites (or torrent users) should be regulated.
This is especially true when it comes to the gray area of sharing copy-protected materials. Laws are different in every country. Some countries outlaw torrenting altogether (even from legal sources) while others (Switzerland, Spain) allow the downloading of copyrighted materials for ‘Personal Use.’
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Overview of the legal status of torrenting
- How to use the information in this guide (change your IP-address location perhaps?)
- BitTorrent Policies by Country
- The Best
- Switzerland
- Spain
- Poland
- The Rest
- Netherlands
- Mexico
- Canada
- Australia
- UK
- United States
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Neither the author of this article nor the owners of best-bittorrent-vpn.com endorse the downloading of copyrighted material in any jurisdiction, whether legally or not. This article is provided for informational purposes only. BitTorrent is legal, piracy is not. Please use responsibly. We’re not legal experts, nor do we claim to be. This article is opinion and represents our current understanding of file-sharing laws in certain countries. We may interpret the legal climate in a country different than a the exact statutes (or a judge) might. Do your own research. Download only LEGAL torrents. And get yourself a VPN. It’s only $40 per year.
Torrent Legality: an overview
First off, let’s be clear: BitTorrent is only file-sharing protocol. It’s not a piracy tool, just like a web browser isn’t a piracy tool. The BitTorrent protocol is legal in most countries around the world, and so are torrent downloads from legal sources.
Laws are changing dramatically, worldwide, trying to keep balance between entrenched corporate interests (like content/media products) and then constant evolution file-sharing technologies.
Some countries (like the United States) are struggling to update old laws designed for decades-old varieties of copyright infringement, which are now (unfortunately) being misapplied to file-sharers with no criminal or profit intent.
Other countries, where the internet is still new, had few or no intellectual property laws in place, and are now making strides towards defining them.
Still other nations (most notably Switzerland) and taking a very progressive stance, that downloading of files for ‘personal use’ should be entirely legal. In other words, if you aren’t profiting off another persons creation, it’s legal.
HOW TO USE THIS INFORMATION
If you’re located in a country that isn’t particularly torrent friendly, you can still virtually download torrents from within torrent-friendly countries thanks to the geo-switching capabilities of Virtual Private Networks. If you’re not familiar with VPN technology, here’s a quick intro into how VPN’s work and why you might want one.
Hopefully you only download legal torrent files (there are 10’s of thousands of them). Even if you only download 100% legal torrents, countries like the United Kingdom and United States still frequently disrupt the your ability to torrent legally, the same as others who download copyrighted material.
In the U.S. many major ISP’s throttle all torrent traffic on their networks, regardless of the type or legality of the content.
In the U.K. many of the top torrent sites are blocked, even though they host many legal torrent files.
By using a VPN service with servers located in a ‘torrent-friendly’ country, you can:
- Avoid monitoring by your Internet Provider and other 3rd parties
- Get the full benefit of your bandwidth instead of getting throttled to much slower download speeds.
- Download files from a server in a country where file-sharing isn’t monitored.
- Encrypt all data transferred, so your ISP cannot see sites you visit or files you download.
- Unblock geo-blocked or firewalled sites, including torrent sites.
- Check out our Top VPN’s for Torrents Recommendations.
It’s important to note, that even if you download copyrighted material via a VPN server in a country where doing so is legal, you may still be doing so from a country where it is still illegal. Please support content creators and only download legal torrents!
Safest countries for torrenting (the best)
There are the countries where file-sharing (even copyrighted files) has the most favorable status. Internet Providers in these countries don’t block or throttle torrent sites.
Switzerland
Switzerland is by far the safest country for torrents. According to Swiss law, downloading music and movies (even copyrighted works) ‘for personal use’ appears to be completely legal.
‘Personal Use’ is a bit of a general definition, but generally if you aren’t attempt to profit from the download, or distributing it to a large number of people, it’s you’re likely ok.
But the Swiss will take your online freedom even further…
The monitoring of peer-to-peer downloads by a 3rd party is actually illegal!According to this article on Torrent Freak, IP addresses are considered personal information (your IP address is the only personally identifying information available in a torrent swarm). Since collecting personal information without consent is illegal under Swiss law, 3rd party monitoring agencies are actually committing a crime if they do so. This effectively kills the ‘business strategy’ used by a number of ‘Copyright Trolls‘.
Though there are new laws under consideration that will help rightsholders remove copyrighted material from web servers, the Swiss protected personal freedom to download files for personal use will likely remain legal for the foreseeable future.
Spain
Spain is nearly as safe as Switzerland when it comes to downloading torrents for personal use. In a series of cases in 2006, a Spanish Judge ruled that downloading copyrighted files for ‘Personal Use’ as long as there’s no intent to profit.
There are similar protections for personal information as well. Personal data associated with an IP address can only be revealed in the course of a criminal investigation. File-sharing is considered a civil matter. It should come as no surprise then that nearly one-third of Spaniards use file-sharing websites. Double the European Average. (Source: Wikipedia)
There are a number of VPN services with servers in Spain. IPVanish is one of our favorites, thanks to their zero-logs policy, and incredibly fast speeds.
Poland
Downloading of copyrighted works for ‘personal’ use is a gray legal area in Poland. Let’s be clear, there is no written law that creates a ‘personal use’ exemption. However, there are several legal opinions that seem to legalize downloading for private use.
In the middle (torrents tolerated or ignored)
Generally speaking, these are countries with no clear policy, or no enforcement mechanism for p2p downloaders.
Mexico
Regulators and lawmakers in Mexico have mostly ignored the rise of file-sharing. As of 2019 there aren’t any laws that specifically forbid it. Torrents in Mexico are not blocked by most ISPs nor monitored in any official capacity.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands used to be one of the most torrent-friendly countries, and downloading for personal use was explicitly legal (you just couldn’t upload). In 2017 all that changed, but the Netherlands still has a relatively free internet and minimal enforcement of p2p downloads.
Two Dutch ISPs (Ziggo and Xs4all) were ordered to start blocking The Pirate Bay (which ironically started as a Dutch website). https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/09/22/pirate-bay-blocked-netherlands-dutch/
Much of Eastern Europe
Countries like Slovakia, Greece and Romania largely ignore filesharing. An exception is Russia, which has forced ISPs to block numerous torrent sites.
The Rest: Less safe for torrents
The bulk of countries fall into this category, but not all are created equal. Some (like the U.S. and Canada) rarely enforce file-sharing violations criminally. Other countries have gone for torrent site bans (India) and/or overzealous enforcement.
Australia
Australia has unfortunately followed the USA’s example, and allowed torrent trolls to run rampant. ISP’s in Australia retain usage and connection logs for up to 2 years. The government doesn’t directly enforce torrent violations but instead has allowed torrent trolls to flourish, with mass lawsuits asking $100’s or $1000’s for downloading a single file.
Canada
Canada overhauled their copyright law with the Copyright Modernization act. One of the most relevant changes for Bittorrent users was the beginning of a ‘Notice and Notice’ regime, which requires Canadian ISPs to forward 3rd-party infringement notices customers. Critics say this opens the door for trolls and extortion letters.
United Kingdom
England and the UK have been on the hard edge of p2p enforcement from the beginning. Most UK ISPs and mobile carriers have implemented blockades of torrent sites at one time or another. Many VPN services won’t even allows torrents on their UK servers.
UK BitTorrent enthusiasts often to VPN usage to circumvent torrent blockades and 3rd-party monitoring of downloads.
United States
The U.S. is an interesting case study. There was very little direct enforcement of torrent violations by US-based ISPs, other than throttling torrent downloads.
Instead, most monitoring and enforcement activity is handled by rightsholders (or companies that merely claim to hold the rights). This means the U.S. was (and largely still is) a safe-haven for copyright trolls). Fortunately, some jurisdictions are wising up, after the Prenda Law scandal, and making it much harder for bad actors to extort downloaders.
CONCLUSION
Digital file-sharing has exploded with worldwide as broadband speeds have become globally accessible. The growth of peer-to-peer technologies like BitTorrent have disrupted traditional media distribution strategies, and BitTorrent users have faced increasing pressure from old-guard content owners who aren’t ready to change their business just yet.
Several countries are taking a stand, however, and saying that downloading content for personal use isn’t a crime.
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Categories By Country
David Barnes
David started torrenting before it was cool. He enjoys hiking, strategy games and eats watermelon year round. He still rocks his Napster t-shirt once a month.
2 thoughts on “The safest countries to download torrents (ranked best to worst)”
this page provide very wrong information. Torrenting in Poland is not safe. Downloading is relatively safe (due to ‘private use’ case). When you use torrents the assumption in Poland is: you share and that’s not legal. Any kind of upload is illegal. It was maybe safe many years back. Now people moved to downloading. Reply
The same applies to Switzerland
You can download whatever you want but Torrenting is considered uploading and is illegal ReplyThe Safest and Most Dangerous Countries for Torrenting
Since its inception decades ago, torrenting remains the most popular way for users to upload and download a variety of media. Even though file-sharing in itself is legal, issues may arise when the content being shared is copyrighted.
Laws, penalties, and actual enforcement of laws regarding the unauthorized sharing of copyrighted content all vary greatly by country. Although the practice is allowed in some places, it’s considered to be a serious offense in others.
We’ll take a look at countries where torrenting is either legal or essentially legal, as well as countries where people caught torrenting receive hefty penalties.
Table of Contents show
Which Countries Allow Torrenting?
Certain countries have explicit laws that legalize the practice of downloading protected content. This practice is relatively rare, since explicitly allowing torrenting of copyrighted material is likely in violation of international treaties, and many economies rely on the concept of Intellectual Property to an extent.
Spain
One example is Spain. In 2006, the country’s courts determined that it is legal to share copyrighted content online. However, profiting in any way off of the contents is not.
Mexico
A lesser-known torrent-friendly country is Mexico. Sharing copyrighted material is legal in Mexico because the nation’s laws have virtually nothing on the books regarding copyright. Though its neighbor, the United States, relies on intellectual property rights to thrive, Mexico’s economy is not based in media.
This may soon change, as some politicians are beginning to question whether failure to honor copyrights could be a violation of international treaties.
Switzerland
Switzerland, the country famous for remaining neutral in most matters, does have copyright laws. However, much like its infamously anonymous banking system, Swiss law demands that all upload and download history remains private.
Swiss courts have declared that torrents are “protected speech“, so they are legal to download. Notably, software is always unlawful to download via torrent. Just like in Spain, profiting off of torrents is expressly illegal.
However, per a 2010 court decision, it is still illegal to upload or “seed” a copyrighted file. The only protected activity is downloading.
Countries with Tolerance for Torrenting
Other countries are less relaxed about torrenting for private use but still have “formal tolerance” for the practice. In other words, they aren’t willing to explicitly make the practice legal, but they promise to not prosecute users as long as they follow guidelines.
Canada
Unlike the United States, Canada has fairly easygoing rules on file-sharing. Canadians are allowed to torrent virtually anything, so long as it’s not for financial gain. Canada has stringent copyright laws, but these notably only apply to Canadian works.
For example, if a user shares an episode of a U.S.-based TV show, they would not be subjected to penalties under Canadian law. However, if they were to share a show produced and released in Canada, they could face hefty fines.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is known for its lax policies on drugs prohibited in most countries, and it should also be known for its tolerant view on torrenting. The Dutch government uses the same approach it takes with cannabis with copyrighted works, for the most part. A little-known fact is that these drugs are not actually legal under Dutch law. However, there is “formal tolerance” for their sale and use.
In the same vein, downloading copyrighted material is not technically legal. Dutch media-playing devices used to charge a “personal copying fee” tax upon purchase. After the country joined the EU, a Court of Justice decided that this fee was unreasonable, and it was removed.
Still, however, anyone who downloads movies, music, TV shows, or games via torrents will not get in trouble with the law. As an exception, Dutch law fully prohibits the illegal sharing of “cracked” software (software that ordinarily requires payment to use).
The Strictest Countries on Torrenting
Now that we’ve looked at where users can generally torrent with impunity, even without a VPN, let’s take a look at where in the world laws are the harshest. Users found downloading content illegally in strict countries can face severe penalties, even if the works are only copyrighted in another country.
The United States
The rationale for the United States having strict laws regarding torrenting is quite simple: the country produces the bulk of English-speaking media around the world, and much of the economy is based on rights-holders being able to profit. An oddity in United States law places Copyright Infringement under civil code, meaning that mere uploading and downloading of protected content is not a crime.
Users may be required to pay a fine between $200 and $150,000, depending on the amount of damage done. This is per infringement, meaning that those people caught torrenting in the U.S. could potentially face a $150,000 fine for each song if they download a music album.
Because this is in the civil code, private lawyers known as “copyright trolls” are often employed by rights-holding organizations. They monitor swarms of users in using the BitTorrent protocol, record U.S.-based IP addresses, and subpoena the identities of those involved.
They offer a “settlement payment” that is typically under $1,000 in exchange for not taking the user to court for the alleged infringement. There has been significant public outcry regarding this practice and the stringency of financial penalties, which led to this becoming much rarer than it was a decade ago.
The United Kingdom
The U.K. has very strict torrenting laws, more than most countries in Europe. The government is permitted to enforce censorship on infringing websites, a practice that is illegal in the United States.
But there’s a key difference between enforcement in the U.K. and the U.S. The U.K. government is the only entity who can enforce this, while private lawyers can sue people in the U.S. Additionally, while it would be allowed under U.K. law, the country claims it does not go after someone who downloads torrents for personal use without profiting.
However, those that are operating torrent sites, or that profit of sharing copyrighted materials face very harsh penalties: up to ten years in prison and an “unlimited” fine.
Germany
Germany made the list, not because of the penalties imposed, but because of the frequency the german government penalizes suspected Internet pirates. Either local governments or private lawyers who notice German IP addresses in torrent swarms may obtain the identities of users involved.
They may then fine these users not less than 500 Euros and not more than 1500 Euros. There have even been cases where individuals who simply streamed movies online were targeted!
Being on the Safe Side
As you can see, there are many cases where someone could suddenly land in hot water and owe a corporation a huge amount of money for downloading torrents.
If you download or seed torrents, your IP address will be logged by countless governments and private lawyers. This is why it’s imperative to use a VPN. Many people are under the misconception that if they live in a country where torrenting is legal, a VPN isn’t necessary.
However, given that laws change all the time and previous torrent data has been used as evidence in court cases in countries like Sweden, you’ll never know if you’re truly safe without a VPN. It’s always better to take control of your Internet privacy instead of leaving it to various governments and seedy lawyers.
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The 11 Best Countries To Connect VPN When Torrenting (Important Facts)
One of the biggest benefits of a VPN is the ability to connect with servers around the world. This allows you to appear as a native member of that country.
Many VPNs will have dozens of servers around the world that their users can explore. Keep reading to learn which ones you should use.
1. Switzerland
This is one of the most popular VPN locations for those who like to torrent. One of the biggest features is their strong privacy protection laws. These are enshrined in the constitution. Because of this, there are strict laws that govern the way that your personal data can be used. VPNs are often not included in Switzerland’s data retention laws, so the government won’t be monitoring your activities.
Even better, the country isn’t a member of the EU or the 14 Eyes programs. Both of these would require them to collect and share data internationally. Without these agreements, you can be fairly certain that your browsing history will be secure.
The Swiss government has invested to create a high-quality internet system. Because of this, you will be able to get a strong connection and achieve decent speeds.
However, the biggest benefit is the way the law views torrenting of copyrighted information. The government has classed this as a victimless crime. Because of this, most torrents of copyrighted material will be legal. There are just two requirements you need to meet:
- The torrent must be for your personal use
- You must not be trying to profit from the copyrighted material.
2. Iceland
One of the most popular VPN servers in the world belongs to Iceland. There are plenty of reasons why people choose to use this service. First, they have an excellent internet infrastructure. Around 99 percent of people in this country have access to the internet. The fibreoptic cables ensure that they have a quick connection.
However, one of the biggest reasons why Iceland attracts the attention of those looking to torrent is because the government is committed to upholding personal rights, especially online. Because of this, there are very few limitations on speech. According to Facebook, the government didn’t issue any takedown requests last year. They also respect people’s rights to freedom, with limited tracking of what you are doing online.
More importantly for those wanting to torrent, though, is the limited content restrictions. Using Iceland, you will be able to find most of the content that you would be looking for.
The only potential issues, though, occur when you want to access sites that are known for hosting copyrighted information. In court cases, the Icelandic government ordered ISPs to block access to these sites. This means that you won’t be able to torrent through services like Pirate Bay.
It should be noted that, technically, pornographic material is illegal in this country. Though this ban is rarely enforced.
3. Malaysia
If you are looking for a server that will protect your privacy, you might want to consider using a Malaysian server. Several principles make this type of protection so beneficial for users:
- Sites need to ask your permission. Before they can start storing your personal information, you will need to give your express permission to a site. They will also need to tell you how long they store that information for and what they intend to use it for.
- You can access your data. If you request, a site must provide you access to the private information that they have collected about you.
- Outside of 14 Eyes. The 14 Eyes is an international agreement that allows countries to share information. This allows them to use this information to track criminals and might extend to tracing to users of torrenting sites. You don’t need to worry about this when using a Malaysian VPN.
- No data outside the border. To make things even more secure, Malaysia doesn’t allow private data on its citizens to leave its borders.
Of course, there are a few downsides to using Malaysian servers. Sites that torrent copyrighted information is illegal. However, the government rarely enforces this. Though there were millions of breaches in 2019, no one has been charged.
4. Panama
Another country that is known for its excellent data protection laws is Panama. They require users to agree before a website will be able to start gathering their personal information. You will have the right to refuse to provide your data. All this information must be stored securely.
Under these laws, there is no need for internet services to store information on you. Because of this, the VPN service won’t need to take any logs. This is an extra layer of security and anonymity.
Like many of the other countries on this list, Panama isn’t part of the 14 Eyes, EU, or other international agreements that would force them to share your data internationally. Because they have long been a haven for VPN users who want a country that will respect their privacy.
5. Romania
Romania is rather relaxed about how they approach online piracy, with very few people charged for torrenting. If you are just downloading this material, rather than uploading it, Romanian authorities will likely leave you alone.
Unlike the other countries on this list, they are a part of the EU. This means that they will need to take part in data sharing. However, the Romanian government has repealed these laws, one of the only countries in the EU to do this.
But this doesn’t mean that you don’t need to take some precautions. As a member of the EU, they do need to take part in some information sharing. They need to allow some investigators to access these records. However, your VPN company won’t be required to keep a log. Because of these strong privacy laws, if you want to get access to European content, Romania is probably your best option.
6. Netherlands
This is one of the most popular VPN locations in the world. It’s a location that is known for its strong privacy laws. Freedom of speech and expression is strongly protected by the government. This extends to the internet. However, this has recently started to change. Most notoriously, the government has decided to implement a law known as Wet op de inlichtingen in 2017.
This is one of the most wide-ranging surveillance laws in the country’s history, which has caused a lot of controversy amongst the community. Some of the most controversial aspects include:
- The ability to hack smart technology
- Maintaining a database of the DNA of every citizen in the country
- Sharing this information with foreign countries
Despite this, there are some positives to those looking to use a Netherlands server for torrenting. The country still has relatively lax laws around the use of copyrighted materials. While this is technically illegal, it’s rare for the government to enforce these rules. Recently, though, groups have been blocking access to sites like Pirate Bay.
If you are caught torrenting in the Netherlands, you have a legal defense. You just need to show that the item in question was a “work of art”. The vagueness of this law leaves a lot of room for interpretation, though it often doesn’t apply to things like software.
7. San Marino
San Marino is a smaller country in the EU, located right next to Italy. But there are some reasons why you might want to consider using a VPN service that is based in this country.
The biggest advantage is that it is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t have any copyright laws or protections. The other two countries are Eritrea and Turkmenistan. Because of this, there is no risk that you will face legal blowback from watching copyrighted torrents.
While San Marino is based in Europe, it isn’t part of the EU. Because of this, you don’t need to worry about your data being used to track your movements or trace what you are doing. Plus, it is a fairly safe and free country, with a strong right to free speech.
The only downside is that the internet infrastructure isn’t as advanced as some of the other European countries. Because of this, you might need to wait a little longer to get a response.
8. Mexico
When it comes to copyright law, they have recently adopted a copyright law based on the ones available in the United States. This raises a lot of potential issues for those who are planning to torrent from sites like Pirate Bay.
If it is used like it is in the United States, though, it can have very serious impacts. In some cases, it might be used to suppress freedom of speech. In Mexico, the concept of fair use is still fairly limited. However, Mexico is known for having a fairly lax approach to implementing copyright laws. This is why they have become a haven for torrents internationally.
On a more positive, Mexico is known for its lack of censorship online. There is no evidence that the government has taken steps to block access to sites.
9. Spain
If you are looking for a country that will keep your personal data and browsing preferences private, you might want to use a VPN server in Spain. These laws will be similar to Malaysia. Organizations will be required to tell you what data they will be collecting and how long they intend to store it for.
They are also known for having a free internet system. There has been little evidence of the government stepping in and censoring the work of its citizens.
For a while, Spain has had lax copyright laws. If you were torrenting this kind of material, it was deemed to be a victimless crime. The only exception was individuals who were posting the materials, to make a profit from them. As long as you aren’t doing this, there is little chance that you will become a target of this government.
However, there are some signs that this is starting to change. New laws are being put in place to tighten the copyright laws. Some of the highlights of this bill include:
- Blocking access to sites. ISPs could be required to block or limit access to sites like Pirate Bay, which have become synonymous with illegal pirating activity.
- Better enforcement of existing rules. The government will likely seek to work with ISP to do this.
This is still a relatively new rule, so how it impacts those seeking to torrent through the Spanish servers remains to be seen.
10. Poland
In many cases, you will be able to torrent materials like copyrighted TV and movies. You just need to use it for your own personal use. However, this has a fairly narrow definition. You won’t be able to apply it to things like software or video games.
It should be noted that these rules haven’t stopped some Polish producers from launching legal action against people viewing their materials through torrent sites. Some people have even received cease and desist notices through their ISPs.
11. Hungary
Hungary has some copyright laws in place. But they aren’t usually upheld. As long as you aren’t trying to torrent for profit, you won’t have any legal problems in Hungary.
The government has tried to censor some content. But this is usually involved with websites that are trying to deny the Holocaust. They have also ordered ISPs to block access to gambling sites. Many other sites, though, are allowed to be freely accessed. It’s estimated that their internet is among the freest in the world, with very few restrictions placed on what citizens can watch.
Plus, Hungary has some of the fastest internet speeds in the world, rating just behind the United States. So, you shouldn’t have to wait too long for pages to load.
Why Do You Need a VPN When Torrenting?
Let’s start by briefly looking at some of the reasons why you need to use a VPN in the first place. There are several benefits that a VPN can unlock. These include:
- Getting past content blocks. It’s common for your ISP to block some sites, particularly those involved in copyrighted materials. For example, you might not be able to access Pirate Bay. Using a VPN server will allow you to get around these restrictions.
- Privacy. When you are browsing without the protection of a VPN, your ISP will be able to keep track of every search you make. They can be compelled to hand this information over to the authorities. When you use a VPN, you will be masking your activities, encrypting your data.
- Better streaming speeds. If you are a regular user of streaming services you might notice sudden drops in streaming quality. This is often linked to throttling from your ISP, so they can better cope with demand for their services. By using a VPN, you will be able to get around these restrictions.
Tips to Choose the Right Servers When Torrenting
There are plenty of servers you can use that allow for private browsing and limited censorship of your activities. Here are some of the tips you can use to find the right one for you:
- Internet speeds. While secure browsing in a torrent-friendly country is important, you should also think about how fast your internet will be. As a general rule, the best way to get good speed is by picking a server that is close to your geographical location.
- Enforcement of laws. There are many countries where the torrenting of copyrighted material is, technically, illegal. But it’s rarer to find places where the government will actively pursue people accessing this material. Places like The United States, Germany, and France have the strictest laws. Because of these server locations should be avoided.
- International agreements. It’s worth doing a little research to see whether they are part of an international agreement, like the EU or 14 Eyes. These groups will often share data on what individuals are doing online. This can be used to track down people, even if they are using a VPN to conceal their identity.
- Privacy agreements. Consider what measures have been put in place to protect your data. Some countries, like Malaysia, will ban the transfer of personal data outside of their borders. This will add an extra layer of security, making it easier to obscure your movements online.
- Availability of websites. You’ll need to find a country that will allow you to access sites. Sometimes, the most notorious sites, like Pirate Bay, will be blocked. If this is the case, just hop onto a different server and try again.
Choosing the right country is often a good first step. But you should also make sure that you are picking a good VPN. Some will have a greater focus on privacy than others. You need to make sure that you are encrypting your data, otherwise, your ISP might still be able to see what you are doing. This is especially important in a country where torrenting is illegal.
Final Thoughts
Using a VPN is essential when you are torrenting. It will add an extra layer of privacy, helping protect you from hackers and prying government eyes. Though there are plenty of servers for you to choose from, you should try to pick one where torrenting will be legal. If you do this, you will be able to torrent without fear of legal retribution.
- The Best