I don’t live in the US, so my ISP doesn’t really seem to care what I torrent, but the megathread vehemently recommends to always use one. Since VPNs aren’t cheap and I’m on a strict budget (wouldn’t pirate otherwise), is it really that dangerous to torrent without one?
It (possibly) adds a layer of security. Of course you’re just passing your traffic through them. Should they get summoned to court or ordered they could turn over your information and show you were trafficking through them. I’d say to read into how your nation persecutes copyright. How strict are they, how often have people been legally attacked cause of it, etc. If you’re in Japan for example, I’d say 100% use a VPN. Copyright is extremely serious there.
Very true. Not all VPNs are created equal and it’s important to research, but ultimately you are putting your trust in them with your data. They provide anonymity but you need to trust them that they don’t compromise your security. And of coruse you should still do everything else you can to maximise your security on the internet.
It doesn’t add a layer of security, it adds a layer of anonymity.
Right. I keep having to remind myself and others all a VPN does is pass traffic elsewhere. Still at the whims of whatever security measures your VPN does or doesn’t do.