A lot has changed in technology like BTGuard just over the last few years, and this includes the way that many people access files, information and entertainment on the Internet. The technology has caused many changes in the industry over this timeframe but one thing has still remained the same throughout all of this – there are millions of people who are seeking methods that they can perform file-sharing on the Internet with others. Since 2006, one of the most popular methods involved in this practice involves the use of bittorrents, or torrents as they are also known. Torrents have become a big way of people to share files both legally and illegally and those that download these files are often tracked and kept tabs on by providers.
To understand the system a little bit better is necessary to know just how it is that torrents operate, what they are and what they do. A torrent is a small file that is a component of a much larger file. This small file is what is used to make a larger and the torrents are spread among many different users in the file sharing system. This method allows for a faster download because the sharing occurs not just in one location with a very large file, as was often the case with other file-sharing methods that have been used in the past. The actual torrent breaks the large file into the smaller components and spreads them out, making it more efficient to download files in this manner.
Torrents need to be opened with the use of a particular application that is designed just for the process. There are many applications out on the Internet that you can download that are torrent applications and most of them are free to download and use like, for example, BTGuard, making it much easier to spread information around and to share files among all of the users. This is what has caused the popularity of torrents to grow in recent years and there are now millions of people that use torrents as a file-sharing method all around the world. Once you have the application you also need access to a torrent server, of which there are also many available on the Internet at no cost. It then becomes a matter of allowing file-sharing on your computer and some basic understanding and navigating of your system and file management and you can then begin the process of downloading and sharing.
While there is nothing inherently illegal about having this technology and using torrents, it is how they are used that many people question and can lead to questions of legality. Many people use the technology as a means for illegal file-sharing of movies and music, which can lead to serious risks and penalties, including heavy fines, jail time and civil lawsuits for copyright infringement for people not using BTGuard. There are also people who use torrents as a method for spreading things like viruses and malware for the purposes of hacking, fraud and identity theft, something else you need to be aware of.
Because of the nature of torrents and what they can be used for when not used properly, downloaders of torrents are often tracked by their Internet Service Providers (ISP) or other sites and services to watch the amount of file sharing that goes on and what type of sharing is occurring. The ISP that you use may not be worried so much about the information and files you are downloading as much as the amount of bandwidth you may be using on their system while you are doing it. Many ISPs can tell when you are using torrent applications and in those cases they have the ability to slow down your connection, even if your download is perfectly legal because you are using so much of their bandwidth. Media companies and their legal firms also keep a close eye on the torrents that involve the files of their movies, music or books and they are able to track when and what you have downloaded and in turn can notify your ISP, which can offer a reprimand or suspend or terminate your services based on the amount and number of offenses you may have. You can also face civil and legal charges from the media company for this.
If you are using torrents for completely legal purposes and uploading or downloading files or technology that is free and readily sharable to others, then you will never have an issue with anybody other than you might experience a slower connection from your ISP if you do this often. Keep in mind however that you are able to be tracked at any time when you go out over your ISP as part of a public network so they can not only see how much bandwidth you are using but exactly where you are going and what you are doing if they wanted to. The only way you can really protect yourself from anything like that is to make use of some sort of encryption, a VPN or certain torrent applications like BTGuard that can help to make your IP more masked and anonymous.
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