- Anonymous downloading with a VPN: torrents and P2P networks
- How to download anonymously with a VPN: step-by-step guide
- When is anonymous downloading illegal?
- Best VPNs for anonymous downloading
- Can I use a free VPN for torrenting?
- Alternative download method: the Tor Network
- Final thoughts on anonymous downloading
- FAQ
Using a VPN is the best way to maintain your privacy and online safety while downloading torrents and other files. Thanks to robust encryption and IP address masking, your network traffic is safeguarded and your online activities are hidden.
Whether it’s your internet service provider (ISP), authorities, or malicious hackers, with a good VPN, third parties can’t track your downloads or any other online activities.
Based on my tests, I can recommend NordVPN as the best VPN for anonymous downloading. It’s a safe, privacy-minded VPN provider with a wide server network, extra security features, and excellent download speeds.
Read the rest of the article below for more information and a step-by-step guide for safe and anonymous downloading. It is important that you consider the legality of the things you download, which is also discussed in the article.
Downloading from unreliable sources online can be very risky, as you may download malware along with your files. Additionally, as piracy laws are different in countries worldwide, you may get into trouble downloading illegal torrents depending on where you live.
Fortunately, a reliable VPN for anonymous downloading can protect you from various cyberthreats and help you maintain privacy while you torrent. With a VPN, you can easily mask your real IP address and encrypt your traffic, which makes your online activities untraceable to you as well as invisible to onlookers.
In this guide, I’ll share my recommendations on the best VPNs for anonymous downloading, how to use them, and how they work.
Anonymous downloading with a VPN: torrents and P2P networks
As the popularity of torrenting continues to grow, it offers a good example of the need for anonymous downloading.
Here’s how P2P networks and torrents work: users exchange data online, from computer to computer. This is called downloading and uploading content. If you download a file from a torrent site, the torrent program will make sure that this file is sent to you by other users.
These other users already have this file on their computers and can share it with you. In “internet slang,” they are the seeders (uploaders), and you are the leecher (downloader).
Based on your IP address, others in the torrent network can identify you. So by simply downloading a file while unprotected, you could have exposed your real location.
Why do you need to be anonymous when downloading
Hackers have been known to call in swatting attacks after obtaining IP addresses and corresponding addresses. Of course, this information could also be complemented with social media research to run targeted phishing or social engineering campaigns.
Hackers aren’t the only threat. These days, your online activities can also easily be tracked and logged by an internet service provider (ISP), a network manager, the government, or other third parties interested in seeing your browsing data and traffic.
If you want to download files safely and anonymously, you’ll need a VPN. A reliable VPN reassigns your IP address and connection to a server in their extensive private network. Top VPN providers also use military-grade, 256-bit AES encryption to secure that connection. Since true VPNs keep no logs of user activity, the downloading session becomes private and well-protected.
Important:
Please keep in mind that downloading illegal files with a VPN is also prohibited and punishable. Use a VPN only to download legal content. You should also check the legality of torrenting in your country before browsing torrent sites. We’ll talk more about this later in the article.
How to download anonymously with a VPN: step-by-step guide
VPNs can sound complicated if you’ve never used one before. All this talk of IP addresses and servers can be confusing. But don’t worry! It is very easy to get started. Just follow the six simple steps below to protect yourself with a VPN:
- Create an account with a VPN provider known for security, privacy protection, and download speeds, which also supports P2P networks. We can recommend NordVPN as it covers all these bases.
- Download the VPN software from the official website of your chosen VPN provider.
- Install the VPN by following the onscreen instructions.
- Log in to the account you created earlier. You’ll need the username and password you created during registration.
- Choose a VPN server. For downloading, we recommend the nearest recommended server. This will ensure optimal speed.
- Turn on the VPN, and your data traffic is encrypted! You can now download more securely and anonymously.
Bonus tips for increased safety and anonymity when downloading
Getting a high-speed VPN that supports P2P networks, keeps no logs, and has the proper security protocols is key to anonymous downloading. But if you’re looking for extra shields of security and privacy protection, there are some additional steps you can take, such as:
- Use a privacy-focused browser: Browsers can give away a lot of information about you and your device, and not all browsers were developed with anonymity and privacy in mind. We’ll give you a hint — Google Chrome did not make our list of the best browsers for your privacy. For downloading, you will want a faster browser, though, so setting up Firefox as an anonymous browser is a good option.
- Get a good antivirus: Even if you successfully download a file in total anonymity, that doesn’t mean it isn’t corrupted with malware. Torrenting networks have long been a hotbed for computer viruses, keyloggers, and worms. The best antivirus software will offer protection to catch threats in real-time, as well as root out malware that has already found its way onto your device.
- Use anonymous emails: When signing up or registering for your VPN (or other sites and apps, for that matter), you can actually do so using private and secure email providers. Some VPNs will even let you pay using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
- Incognito or private mode: Though it’s not enough in itself, incognito and private windows do offer some additional protection by cleaning out your local history, so nothing will be saved in your browser’s history during a session. It’s important to note that if you don’t use a VPN, an internet service provider can still see what happens on a browsing session when using a private or incognito window.
- Run an anonymity test: Once you’ve taken the necessary precautions, you can run an anonymity test using our online tool. If you’ve got a good VPN on while using the tool, you’ll see that any identifying information about you has been altered.
When is anonymous downloading illegal?
Online downloading through torrent sites and P2P networks like uTorrent in itself isn’t illegal. But if the content you’re downloading is copyrighted, that is illegal. You’re getting something without paying the creators. So the legality of torrenting depends on what you download from torrenting sites.
Torrenting websites are the place where you’ll find your trackers, allowing you to torrent the files you want. It’s not a complicated system, but it’s important to know one thing about these sites: they’re the ones targeted by anti-piracy campaigns.
Some torrent sites have a bad reputation with copyright organizations because people use these sites to exchange illegal material. The best-known examples of such sites are KickAss Torrents and The Pirate Bay. On The Pirate Bay, people frequently share and download movies, series, and music that are copyrighted. The same happens on many sites that work as alternatives to Pirate Bay or Torrent9.
Governments are constantly trying to shut these torrent sites down, which results in these sites often changing their server location, and it can also mean that sometimes your favorite torrent site won’t be up. There are many efforts made by ISPs to block or close torrent sites. Yet, there are still several torrent websites that are active and safe.
Torrenting legality by country
In more and more countries, copyright organizations are allowed to collect information on the people who are active on torrent sites and streaming services. They monitor the IP addresses of those who illegally download and upload movies, series, books, and music or use illegal streaming services.
With these tracked IP addresses, they have even started to fine people in some countries. This is why some downloaders have started to use a VPN to hide their IP address.
Remember, however, that you should always familiarise yourself with any applicable copyright laws before downloading something and act in accordance with these. Check out our breakdown by country to see your government’s take on torrent legality.
Some things that are generally viewed as illegal:
- Sharing or downloading software, like games, on torrent sites.
- Downloading or sharing movies or series that are copyrighted.
- Sharing or downloading music that hasn’t been paid for.
Legality of torrents and P2P programs
Like torrenting in general, downloading platforms like BitTorrent and uTorrent are also legal. You can use these for downloading a software patch, a demo game, or a movie trailer. In these cases, it is not illegal because you are not infringing on anyone’s copyright. Again, it only becomes illegal when the content you download is protected by copyright.
It can be difficult to determine whether there is a copyright on a file or not. As a rule of thumb, if you can buy it somewhere, it’s probably copyrighted and best avoided.
Best VPNs for anonymous downloading
To secure your internet connection for the purpose of safety and privacy, it is wise to use a VPN when you download (or do anything online, for that matter). Sadly, not all VPN providers are compatible with P2P downloading. We’ve rounded up the top three VPN providers that allow for anonymous downloading and provide secure, stable, and fast connections.
Let’s check out the best VPNs for anonymous downloading!
1. NordVPN – best overall for anonymous downloading
NordVPN has its headquarters in Panama, which means they are not legally required to store user logs. So they don’t register any of your actions online. It actually tops our list of the best no-log VPNs.
They offer a secure connection, which will provide you with a great level of anonymity online. NordVPN allows you to go online with six people at the same time with just one subscription.
Most importantly, NordVPN is compatible with P2P downloading. They have special servers specifically for torrent downloading. These servers are very fast, and you can download files in no time. If you want to give it a run for free, take advantage of NordVPN’s 30-day free trial.
2. Surfshark – affordable, fast, and secure
Surfshark is another great option for downloaders who want to improve their privacy and security without breaking the bank. In fact, Surfshark is one of the cheapest, true premium VPNs we’ve been able to find.
However, its low price doesn’t mean Surfshark compromises safety and privacy. In fact, Surfshark is officially registered in the British Virgin Islands, meaning they don’t have to store any user logs.
On top of this, they also offer 256-bit AES encryption, great protocols, and an excellent balance between speed and safety when it comes to their servers. As such, Surfshark enables you to safely and privately download large torrent files without having to wait endlessly.
Lastly, Surfshark comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try it out for yourself before fully committing to it.
3. Proton VPN – privacy-first secure torrenting VPN
Proton VPN is a premium, privacy-focused VPN for secure downloading. Besides being easy-to-use, Proton VPN offers P2P-optimized servers and a strict no-logs policy for online anonymity.
Proton VPN is headquartered in Switzerland, which means it must adhere to strict local privacy laws. Combined with SecureCore servers, which route your traffic through two servers with a midpoint based in a privacy-friendly country, it makes for a truly secure VPN.
With reliable connections, torrent support, and a sprawling server network, Proton VPN is a good VPN choice if you want anonymous downloading. You can use the 30-day money-back guarantee to test out the service completely risk-free.
A solid cybersecurity and privacy package with a whopping 70% off
Can I use a free VPN for torrenting?
Free VPNs can be enticing for sure because you don’t have to pay anything upfront to stay “safe” while torrenting. But we don’t recommend them for a number of reasons. They’re just not going to get the job done when it comes to anonymous downloading. Here are a few problems:
- Logging: Many free VPNs have logs of when you masked your connection, and when you got back on your actual connection. This is a best-case scenario that is still detrimental to your anonymity online. Some free providers could actually log your activity while using the VPN, which is anything but anonymous.
- Bandwidth: Downloading (especially torrenting) takes up more bandwidth than perhaps any other online activity. Free VPNs get a lot of traffic, and they restrict your bandwidth to make room for other users. This means that it’ll be really hard to download anything since your connection is throttled by the VPN you’re using.
- Lack of security: Premium VPNs are not just about hiding your connection. They’re an added layer of overall security too. Free VPNs can lack the encryption and protocols necessary to protect your device and connection. Top VPNs have other security features, such as having an automatic kill switch in case your connection to the VPN is lost.
- No torrenting allowed: Finally, the simplest argument against downloading with a free VPN is that many free VPNs simply do not support torrenting at all! Once you’ve gone through the process of downloading and installing a VPN, you may find you can’t do what you got it for in the first place.
So do yourself a favor — if you want to torrent or download anonymously, go with NordVPN, Surfshark, or Proton VPN. In case your torrents don’t download after connecting to a VPN, there are plenty of fixes you can try.
Alternative download method: the Tor Network
Would you rather use a different method to download instead of a VPN? For the more technically-oriented user, there are alternative methods to download anonymously. For example, there is the possibility of using the Tor browser. However, this is far from the ideal solution.
Tor is an anonymous internet browser that fragments and encrypts your internet traffic. This makes it unreadable to others. As such, the Tor Browser is a valid alternative for downloading anonymously.
However, many people will prefer a VPN because the Tor browser (as well as BTguard or a seedbox) is less user-friendly and much slower than most VPN services. When you download torrents via Tor, the whole Tor network slows down. Tor’s capacity is limited, and when many people download torrents, the network gets overloaded. That’s why you probably shouldn’t download torrents with Tor.
Also, the download speeds are often substantially lower. While the Tor network isn’t the best for anonymous downloading (a VPN being a much more suitable option), it is an essential tool for those interested in venturing on the dark web. However, we wouldn’t advise you to download anything from the dark web!
Final thoughts on anonymous downloading
The easiest and most secure way to download anonymously is to use a VPN. The technology masks your IP address and encrypts your network traffic, effectively hiding your online activities from prying eyes. However, not all VPNs are suitable for private torrenting, and you should look for a service with a strict no-logs policy, fast connection speeds, and optimized servers.
Based on my tests, NordVPN is the overall best VPN for anonymous downloading. Not only is it the fastest VPN currently on the market, but it also offers a strict third-party verified no-logs policy and secure P2P-optimized servers.
Related articles:
FAQ
With a VPN you can download torrents in a more anonymous and secure way without your IP address being visible. A VPN shields your IP address and encrypts your internet traffic. We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to download anonymously with a VPN.
We recommend NordVPN for anonymous downloading. This VPN is very secure, fast, and privacy-focused. With NordVPN you can download files quickly, securely, and anonymously.
We do not recommend the use of free VPNs if you want to download files. Free VPNs are often not secure and keep logs. Moreover, free VPNs get a lot of traffic and they restrict your bandwidth. This makes it difficult to download anything quickly, if at all. We’ve put together a step-by-guide on downloading anonymously that covers this topic.
This depends on the content you download. Online downloading via torrent sites and P2P networks in itself isn’t illegal. However, some files are copyrighted. Downloading copyrighted content is considered piracy, which is illegal in many countries.
The best VPNs will hide your online activity from things like your ISP, government, or other members of the torrent network. But your downloads (including torrent trackers, and actual files) are still on your computer. Anyone with access to your device can find them.
