It works like Tinder and other dating apps that match users based on the preferences they input.
What Is a Torrent Tracker?Ī torrent tracker is a server that helps users communicate with other peers faster by monitoring which peer machines keep specific files.
Torrent users also need to watch out for executable (.exe) or batch files (.bat) as these are commonly associated with scripts that install malware into computers.
However, malware-ridden torrent files are incredibly widespread, too, and are often linked to pirated copies of TV show episodes. Besides, malicious actors attempting to change torrent metadata would effectively corrupt its corresponding file, rendering it useless. Generally speaking, most torrents are relatively safe to download-as long as you know where they’re from. It only becomes illegal when a user uploads or downloads copyrighted material through a torrent client or website. The act of sharing files via torrent sites is not illegal in itself. Some government agencies also use torrents to share large images and documents to the public that could otherwise put a strain on their servers.
A torrent client may also be integrated into a game to deploy software updates, as in Starcraft’s case. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter, in fact, use a similar protocol to upload large files to their servers to conserve bandwidth. While torrent sites have become a hub for digital pirates and infringers, they can be useful for syncing large chunks of files and sharing media you own the rights to. We’ll discuss the legality of downloading any kind of torrent file in another section. The rule of thumb is, so long as you’re not sharing files obtained illegally or files that don’t belong to you via BitTorrent, it isn’t unlawful. In fact, several legitimate companies use it, including Netflix, Meta, Google, Twitter, and Lionsgate. Today, BitTorrent (the client) remains the most popular torrent client among users worldwide, more than 2 billion to date. He also used it as the name of the first torrent client made publicly available on 2 July 2001. It was designed by Bram Cohen in April 2001. We mentioned BitTorrent above but what is it, exactly?īitTorrent is a P2P sharing protocol, meaning all torrent clients use it to enable uploading, sharing, and downloading torrent files. Once it receives sufficient bits of data, it also begins to upload the file for the benefit of other users.
You may have visited a torrent site to download a ripped movie, music album, or video game before (although we don’t recommend it) or have heard of people using one.
If you were using the Internet before the age of streaming sites, then you’re probably aware of what torrents are.