Are Torrents Illegal? Update by Country 2023
Torrenting is one of the fastest growing ways to share files on the internet, and in principle, it is legal. However, sharing and downloading unsanctioned copyrighted material is illegal, which leaves them in a very grey area. It's difficult to determine the legality of shared files, come countries have made it unlawful. The consequences of using torrents where they are illegal vary but can include fines and imprisonment. However, even where torrents are legal, if you use them to access copyrighted material, you can still be charged with piracy.
You may download copyrighted content without knowing. To ensure you're safe, learn the laws of the county you're in. On top of that, you can use a VPN to change your IP address, so your identity is safe while torrenting. I recommend ExpressVPN due to its robust security features and fast torrenting speeds. Also, since third parties can't see your activity, your bandwidth won't be throttled, meaning your speeds won't slow down.
While we don’t encourage or condone illegally accessing copyrighted material, we do believe in giving you access to the best and most accurate information. Here is an update by country of where torrents are permitted and where they are not.
Torrent Safely With ExpressVPN >>
*Not all countries are listed.
In order to identify locations where torrenting is allowed, we examined countries that permit the downloading of copyrighted material.
| Countries where downloading is permitted (for personal use) | Countries where downloading content is overlooked | Countries where downloading illegal content in fined | Countries that have shut down torrenting sites |
| Switzerland | Netherlands | Germany | Portugal |
| Spain | Canada | Japan | Italy |
| Poland | Mexico | UK | Malaysia |
| Israel | Finland | China | |
| România | France | US | |
| Greece | UAE | Australia | |
| India | Russia | ||
| Uruguay | South Africa | ||
| Czech Republic | Latvia | ||
| Slovakia | |||
| Slovenia | |||
| Columbia | |||
| Brazil | |||
| Philippines | |||
| Argentina | |||
| Iran | |||
| Egypt | |||
| Denmark | |||
| Singapore |
Use a VPN to Torrent Anonymously from Any Country
The most significant risk associated with torrenting is the visibility of your torrenting activities to governments and other entities. While we do not endorse illicit actions, it's vital to safeguard your privacy against potential breaches. This is when a VPN becomes invaluable.
Using a VPN will hide your actual IP address and encrypt your connection, which protects you from unwanted surveillance. And since third parties can’t see your online activity, your bandwidth won’t get throttled, which means your speeds won’t slow down.
But, it is important to choose your VPN carefully. Not all providers allow torrenting over their servers, while others limit torrenting to specific, dedicated servers, and these may not be in the countries you want to access. You will also need a VPN with good download speeds, otherwise, you will experience extreme wait times to access the content you want.
That's why we recommend that you use a VPN like ExpressVPN. Express has servers in over 90 countries, and they're known for their lightning fast speeds. They even have a speed test that will find the fastest server for you, so you won't be frustrated by slow download times. And they have a proven no logs policy, meaning they don't keep records on any of your online activity, and a kill switch, so your real IP address will never be exposed while you're torrenting.
Or you can check out the other best VPNs for torrents.
You might also like:
- 10 Most Popular (NON BLOCKED) Torrent Sites
- 10 ExtraTorrent Alternatives That Are Still Going Strong
Your data is exposed to the websites you visit!
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The information above can be used to track you, target you for ads, and monitor what you do online.
VPNs can help you hide this information from websites so that you are protected at all times. We recommend ExpressVPN — the #1 VPN out of over 350 providers we've tested. It has military-grade encryption and privacy features that will ensure your digital security, plus — it's currently offering 49% off.
About the Author
Kristina Perunicic is a former editor for vpnMentor. She’s a cybersecurity expert with an interest in VPNs and their importance in the digital privacy landscape.
