Downloading torrents without a VPN in Switzerland, Mexico, and even Spain is safe. But doing the same in UK, Germany, USA could result in copy-right notices. Therefore watch out for your country’s digital laws before downloading torrents without a VPN. Open the uTorrent application with the VPN turned on and start torrenting with peace of. Without a VPN, your IP address is exposed to other users on uTorrent.
Short Bytes: BitTorrent is an easy method of sharing and downloading the content of our choice. But, the increase in illegal downloads has forced law enforcement to keep a close eye on happenings in the BitTorrent. So, the use of services like VPN and proxy servers is heavily recommended for torrent downloading. In the recent times, apart from legal services like Netflix and Hulu, many illegal movie and TV streaming sites are also becoming popular. That also makes downloading content anonymously even more important.
BitTorrent is one of the most common protocols for transferring large files like videos, movies, games etc. Various surveys keep telling us from time to time that BitTorrent is responsible for about 50% of all the internet traffic. However, the increasing use of BitTorrent networks for downloading and sharing illegal content has forced the law enforcement to keep a close eye on BitTorrent users’ activities.
The direct impact of the law enforcement’s actions can also be seen on the shutdown of many popular torrent websites. Many sites like KickassTorrents and Extratorrents have been forced to shut down their doors but other sites continue to florish and serve the needs of pirates. If you’re a torrent user, you might be familiarised with some of these developments that I’m mentioning here. It has also prompted the rise of many new torrent sites and services.
There’s no denying the fact that torrent downloads aren’t safe like before. Even if when you’re downloading legal content like open source Linux operating systems, in some countries, government agencies are continuously watching you. Many offices and schools also block torrent sites and torrenting traffic. This becomes even more frustrating when you’re trying to grab some legal stuff with the help of this P2P file sharing medium.
Recommended: Top 10 Best Torrent Sites Of 2018
So, what to do? I’ve written a couple of articles in the past around this issue. For example, I’ve recommended the best VPN services that you can use for hiding your IP. But, here, I’ll be directly answering this question. There are some more popular ways to go invisible and anonymize your torrent downloads. Using appropriate tools and services like, you can continue downloading torrents without any worry.
Using VPN and proxy services for anonymous download
Just in case you don’t know how a Virtual Private Network (VPNs) works, you can read our detailed article on the same. A VPN lets you bypass different geographical and ISP restrictions. As it encrypts all your web traffic and gives you a new IP address, it’s impossible for anyone to sniff your web traffic. This way law enforcement can’t track you.
When you use a VPN, the encryption process takes place before your data is transmitted to your ISP. But, why isn’t VPN so popular? Why isn’t VPN services being used by everyone around us? The actual reason could be people’s unawareness that doesn’t make privacy a chief concern. There are some more myths hovering the VPN services that must be busted.
Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, IPVanish are some of the good VPN services that you can try out. There are other options too.
It must be noted that apart from your BitTorrent client, a VPN service tunnels your entire traffic and clocks it. It can also let you watch location restricted content on services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, etc.
There are some good proxy services too, like BTGuard or HideMyAss, which allow you to hide your IP address from the public. It works with all major BitTorrent clients. Please note that if you’re going ahead with a proxy software, you won’t get the benefit of encryption. Also, a proxy simply anonymises the traffic of a single application. You can read about the differences in detail in another article.
After setting up your VPN or proxy, you can visit sites like DNSLeak to test if your DNS is leaking. By visiting sites like iPleak.net, you can further confirm your privacy.
If you’re looking for recommendations, I’ll advise you to go with Private Internet Accessor ExpressVPN. These are paid services, but it’s wise to afford few dollars to shield your digital life. In the coming days, I’ll be writing a detailed article on how to choose a VPN service to help you out.
Another method that’s regularly shared online for secure torrenting and hiding your IP is using Tor web browser. But, very often people try to configure their BitTorrent applications like uTorrent or Vuze to proxy their traffic via Tor and end up inviting trouble. Many clients ignore your manual proxy settings as they use UDP for talking to the servers but Tor socks proxy only supports TCP.
There are other reasons as well using which a peer might learn your real IP address. Moreover, if your BitTorrent communication isn’t encrypted, the Tor exit relay can observer your traffic as well. Even Tor Project advises against using Tor for bittorenting due to these security concerns.
Did you find this article on the benefits of anonymising torrent downloads helpful? Don’t forget to share your views.
Also Read: 10 Reasons Why You Must Use A VPN Service
India has included itself in the list of those countries where torrent downloading has been declared as a criminal act. The country has made headlines by implementing strict online restrictions regarding torrent downloading. In this situation, the role of the best VPN for torrents comes in handy. This is because a VPN will allow you to torrent safely and let download your favorite content from best torrent sites.
IS TORRENTING LEGAL IN INDIA?
Torrenting is not illegal in any country and that includes India, the reason we are saying this is that torrenting is nothing more than an efficient and quick way of sharing large files and this does not involve any legalities. However, torrenting for copyright material is illegal in India and in many parts of the world. Think of torrenting as ownership of a car, you might use it to run errands and other chores or you can use it to commit mass homicide.
The point is torrents can be used responsibly as there are plenty of legal torrenting sites available on the internet. These sites only offer copyright-free material that is legal for public use. However, at this point, we should also address the elephant in the room and that is the illegal use of torrents. Yes, that is right, the majority of torrenters simply want free stuff and that means even if it is obtained from an illegal source.
Implications of Using Torrents In India
If you are confused or are reluctant to accept the fact that torrenting in India is illegal, then the Tata Teleservices (internet service provider) has made it very clear through their warning notice.
The above warning message should be enough to convince even the stingiest of torrenters. Part of the reason why torrenting is illegal in India is that the Indian cinema industry (Bollywood) has been booming since the recent past. Blockbuster Indian movies are breaking the charts with ratings and generating huge revenue that is on par with some Hollywood movies.
With so many amazing movies dropping in every so often, pirates also want to get in on the action. Illegally pirated Indian movies and songs are made public for anyone to view and download which does massive damage to the film industry since most of the potential revenue is wasted.
Since this issue of illegal piracy is unprofitable for Indian film and content producers, the Indian government has banned all torrent sites in their region in an attempt to get rid of content piracy and finally answering the prayers of Indian content producers.
The Indian government has taken a stern action (again) to stop online piracy and this time it’s the torrent users that have come under the cosh. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), along with multiple Internet Service Providers, have started blocking several torrent websites.
Websites blockages are not new in India but even more worrisome is the warning message being shown on these blocked torrent URLs. According to the message, anyone who views, downloads, exhibits or duplicates copyright content on these URLs can be ‘imprisoned for 3 years’ and also ‘fined ₹300,000 Indian Rupees’ under Copyright Act of 1957.
While this caution against the use of torrents in India seems harsh, there is also a lot of ambiguity surrounding the mentioned clauses. For starters, how will the government or ISP identify torrent downloader’s from other normal downloader’s? If someone accesses a torrent website by mistake, will they also be deemed criminals? How will the torrent users prosecute? Will the government handle the entire situation?
These are some of the questions that every torrent user residing in India would like to be answered. The situation is aggravated even more so as there are numerous other crimes committed in India that are gone unnoticed by the authorities.
Copyright Infringement Law in India
The Indian government has severely stricken its copyright laws in recent years. Before we delve into the copyright infringement laws, I think it is important that we first understand what the term “Infringement” means.
An infringing of intellectual property occurs when any individual replicates, distributes or publically uses any form of content be it music, script or any other for monetary and nonmonetary benefits without the permission of its sole proprietor.
As far as copyright is concerned, it is basically the right a person gets in return for exhausting their individual efforts into any project. This right is protected and backed by government authorities, therefore can be utilized to hold copyright infringers in the court of law for justice.
Indian ISPs are more vigilant than ever before, tracking and eliminating torrent sites from the region in an attempt to discourage the use of torrents and eradicating digital piracy.
Update: High Court of Bombay Provides Clarification Over Torrent Block
Amass the conflicting block over torrents in India and its accompanying penalties, High Court of Bombay has provided clarification that viewing pirated content won’t get users into trouble. The High Court has ruled that viewing a torrent magnet link, visiting a torrent website, or streaming content online will not result in fines or imprisonment.
The High Court of Bombay has also ordered all ISPs across India to change warning message. The initial message stated that viewing, downloading, exhibiting or duplicating content could lead to penalty and jail time. However, the new (changed) message now reads that ‘infringing or abetting infringement of copyright-protected content’ is punishable under this law.
How to Download Torrents Safely in India?
Torrent sites in India are blocked due to their copyright infringement act, which states that individuals caught pirating can be prosecuted under the Articles 63, 63-A, 65 and 65-A as dictated by the Indian constitution. Therefore, major torrent sites like limetorrents.cc, Torrenlinks.net and torrentdownloads.me are also presenting the warning message of copyright infringement we mentioned earlier in this blog.
Despite there being strict copyright regulations in India, there are still safe and surefire ways of accessing blocked torrent sites. Now there are proxies that are free and allow users to bypass geo-restrictions, however, they are not safe and we do not recommend them.
Therefore, the best option for any Indian torrenter is to use a reputable VPN service that is cheap and offers uncompromised privacy and security in the digital world. We are going to be discussing some of our favorite VPN providers that we feel you should definitely try.
PureVPN
PureVPN has to be the best VPN to torrent safely in India, because of the fact that it is ridiculously cheap and still offers top-notch privacy and security features through its 750+ servers. The best part about this provider is that it offers a money back guarantee, so if you end up not satisfied with their service you can get your money back.
NordVPN
This VPN giant has been dominating the industry for a long time now. NordVPN offers amazing amount of servers, which would wow any user. Their amazing security features and generous subscription plans makes it a compelling choice for any VPN user.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a bit expensive option in our list, however, its price can be justified with their 24/7 customer support and revolutionary encryption protocols. They also offer a huge number of servers, which is great if you are looking to switch servers for any reason. This is one situation where expensive is definitely better.
IPVanishVPN
IPVanishVPN is one of those providers whose primary concern is customer satisfaction rather than revenue generation. IPVanishVPN offers dedicated torrenting servers, therefore, users who are opting for this service can expect to enjoy a smooth and safe user experience.
IvacyVPN
If you looking to protect your internet privacy by paying less than your lunch money, then IvacyVPN is perfect for you. This provider only charges $1.20 a month, which is by bar the cheapest VPN we have ever come across. However, you will get every security and privacy feature that you would expect from a more premium VPN service.
Extratorrent Blocked in India
Downloading Torrents Without A Vpn
Over the years, numerous websites have been blocked in India. These websites usually pertained to pornography but torrent websites have also had their share of blockages. In wake of recent events, the popular torrent website, Extratorrent.cc, has been blocked at ISP level in India. You can also unblock extratorrents in India by using the best free VPN services. Moreover, you can ready a detailed guide of Free VPN India as well.
Download Torrents Safely Without Vpn
Final Words
In a nutshell, the new blockade on torrents has got many internet users worried in India. Anyone found downloading and distributing copyright material can find themselves in prison for up to 3 three years and also fined 300,000 Indian Rupees in the process.
According to different sources, the warning message is being shown on multiple torrent websites such as torrentdownloads.me, torrentlinks.net, btstorrent.cc, and various others. While the message has created a frenzy among torrent users in India, Extratorrent has been blocked by ISPs.
But with a VPN service, you can become anonymous over the internet, conceal your internet activities from internet service providers, and use torrents safely in India.