{"id":516803,"date":"2022-11-27T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-27T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/"},"modified":"2022-11-27T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-11-27T13:00:00","slug":"why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why You Shouldn\u2019t Use BitTorrent Over Tor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2694d12a115\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2694d12a115\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_You_Shouldnt_Use_BitTorrent_Over_Tor%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why You Shouldn\u2019t Use BitTorrent Over Tor&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/#Torrents_Are_Subject_to_Tracking\" >Torrents Are Subject to Tracking<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/#Can_Tor_Cover_Your_Torrenting_Tracks\" >Can Tor Cover Your Torrenting Tracks?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/#Practical_Problems\" >Practical Problems<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/#Security_Issues\" >Security Issues<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/#What_Can_Torrenters_Use_Instead_of_Tor\" >What Can Torrenters Use Instead of Tor?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_You_Shouldnt_Use_BitTorrent_Over_Tor%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why You Shouldn\u2019t Use BitTorrent Over Tor&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-800159\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/tor-logo-smartphone.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A smartphone screen showing the Tor browser logo.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/march-27-2019-brazil-tor-browser-1351717742\">rafapress\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You shouldn&#8217;t torrent files using Tor since the network can&#8217;t handle the strain. There are also some security issues at play that leave you open to tracking by watchdogs. Using a VPN to torrent is a better option for several reason.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to get started with torrenting, you probably know that you should use some kind of protection when doing so. However, one of the more popular ways to stay anonymous online, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.torproject.org\/download\/\">The Onion Router<\/a> or Tor, is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly not recommended for use with the BitTorrent protocol. Why is that?<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Torrents_Are_Subject_to_Tracking\"><\/span>Torrents Are Subject to Tracking<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Torrenting using the BitTorrent protocol is generally frowned upon by the powers that be since it\u2019s a very popular way of distributing copyrighted material without the copyright holders\u2019 permission, a practice better known as piracy. As a result, if you torrent files, there\u2019s a good chance somebody is watching, especially in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re tracked by a copyright watchdog, you can expect a warning or two, followed by a fine if you persist. Depending on your location, you could even be sued, like a Minnesota woman who <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2012\/sep\/11\/minnesota-woman-songs-illegally-downloaded\">was ordered<\/a> to pay $220,000 for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download<\/a>ing two dozen songs back in 2012.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, you may want to avoid being tracked yourself. As far as anybody can tell, this tracking is done by keeping tabs on torrenters\u2019 IP addresses, the set of numbers that show where an internet connection is coming from. It follows that if you want to avoid being tracked, you need to hide your IP address somehow.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Tor_Cover_Your_Torrenting_Tracks\"><\/span>Can Tor Cover Your Torrenting Tracks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Enter The Onion Router, better known as Tor, a browser that can hide your IP address and should help you browse anonymously. It does this by rerouting your internet connection through so-called nodes. These nodes, which are operated by volunteers, \u201clend\u201d their IP address to you, making you appear like you\u2019re somewhere you\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<p>On paper, it\u2019s a perfect solution: if a watchdog sees you torrenting a file and tries to find out your IP address, it would just find the IP address belonging to the node, not you. However, in practice, some factors spoil this seemingly simple solution.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_Problems\"><\/span>Practical Problems<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The security implications are pretty serious, but before we even get to them, let\u2019s go over some practical problems. The first is that while you may avoid legal attention when using Tor, the person running the node is going to bear the full brunt of it. Usually, they\u2019ll hide their involvement too, but it\u2019s still not particularly nice to let somebody else hang out to dry just so you can enjoy some free entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>Another issue is that Tor is very, very slow, especially if you\u2019re following proper protocols\u2014and you should since you\u2019re risking undue legal attention\u2014and using three nodes to cover your tracks. Rerouting like this slows down your connection (VPNs have the same issue) and doing so three times is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>le the trouble. If you\u2019re using Tor to torrent, it\u2019s going to take a long time to download even a single movie.<\/p>\n<p>A final issue is that there\u2019s a good chance the Tor network couldn\u2019t handle the load if too many people started to use it for torrenting. Torrenting is very resource intensive, and Tor is a simple, volunteer-based project. It\u2019s just not built to handle terabytes of data streaming through it. If too many people start using it for torrenting, sections of the network may simply just go dark.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Security_Issues\"><\/span>Security Issues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>However, more seriously than any of that are the security issues surrounding using Tor for torrenting. A blog post from\u00a0the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.torproject.org\/bittorrent-over-tor-isnt-good-idea\/\">Tor Project<\/a> itself goes into a lot more detail\u2014as well as warning people against overloading the network\u2014but it boils down to how Tor works.<\/p>\n<p>When you use Tor, you\u2019re not protecting all the data going in and out of your connection, you\u2019re essentially only shielding some of it. That\u2019s usually enough to mask your IP address if you\u2019re trying to avoid censorship blocks, but in case of targeted attacks it doesn\u2019t work as well.<\/p>\n<p>The result is that copyright watchdogs trying to get a bead on you could very well be able to see your real IP address and thus trace you back.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Can_Torrenters_Use_Instead_of_Tor\"><\/span>What Can Torrenters Use Instead of Tor?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All of the above seem like serious issues, and they are. As a result, it\u2019s probably best if you don\u2019t use Tor to torrent files, not even small files or those put up legally. Instead, use a virtual private network. These services are purpose-built to accommodate large data streams and will generally offer better protection against targeted attacks than Tor will.<\/p>\n<p>There are some great VPN providers out there, though torrenters will generally have to make use of paid plans due to the amount of data they need. That said, the cost is negligible compared to the fines you risk otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Our favorite for torrenters is IVPN, but a service like Mullvad could also be just what you need. Whatever you do, just make sure you don\u2019t use a US-based VPN as they have been targeted in the past few years by anti-piracy organizations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/845568\/why-you-shouldnt-use-bittorrent-over-tor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why You Shouldn\u2019t Use BitTorrent Over Tor&#8221; rafapress\/Shutterstock.com You shouldn&#8217;t torrent files using Tor since the network can&#8217;t handle the strain. There are also some security issues at play that leave you open to tracking by watchdogs. Using a VPN to torrent is a better option for several reason. If you\u2019re looking to get started&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":516804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/tor-logo-smartphone.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-516803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=516803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/516804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=516803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=516803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=516803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}