Torrents as a Privacy Preserving Tool

Torrents?

BitTorrents are a distributed protocol for peer to peer file sharing. When a user wants to download a file, the user downloads it from a distributed network of people that are SEEDING the specific file. The people providing the file for users to download are called seeders. Anyone that is downloading from a seeder is a leecher. You can download media which includes movies, television shows, books, and music. You can also download software

Muh Streaming Services!

How did we get here? With the evolution of streaming services, the cost to get access to hundreds of hours of content became a low barrier. People opt to use streaming services instead of sailing the high seas of the pirate bay. The ease that comes with streaming only lasts as long as the services is willing to maintain their cheap service. Once that barrier is raised, people take to their boats and set off on an adventure.

The current paradigm is a world where people subscribe to streaming services, pay a monthly fee with your credit card, and get access to whatever content the streaming service offers. You have to use their application and login with your specific account. Your data is collected and sold to data sharing partners. This data can range from location/IP data, hardware information such as device identifiers, user analytics including viewing habits, email and login information as well as payment information. There is another option. Instead of giving these corporations access to your data while also being geo-locked from seeing other content, you have the vast ocean of torrent traffic and the great knowledge of the internet at your back.

Hello, old friend! 🏴‍☠️

You can download any types of media you’d like as long as someone is seeding it to the network. You aren’t limited to a specific streaming service. You don’t need a login to download any service. No payment information. Torrents are a distributed file sharing protocol, so there is no central party distributing files. There is no content curator for you. YOU are the content curator!

There is no centralized corporation that is setting out to collect and monetize your data. There isn’t a centralized repository to store information about your location or your download/watching/payment habits.

Recommended Torrent Clients

qBittorrent – Built-in search function which allows you to search

Transmission – Lightweight native client that also has a CLI option

Operational Security Considerations

You should use a VPN and route all your torrenting traffic through the VPN. It’ll put your VPN provider in the line of fire instead of you for DMCA notices.

You can also use Anonymous mode (https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/wiki/Anonymous-Mode) for qbittorrent along with a VPN.

Prefer Encryption: You can enable require encryption, this gives added protection from your ISP from network traffic analysis. Your network traffic is encrypted so your ISP cannot tell you are downloading a torrent. Though, it doesn’t prevent a copyright enforcer from connecting to your client and downloading a copy from you, which would be proof of you sharing copyrighted data (this could be managed by using a VPN).

You should also consider using block lists. This will block certain parties from seeding to you when you enter a swarm for certain content