How do I torrent safely in the US if I can't afford a VPN? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 11 months ago by ScratchySoft@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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Before I say anything further, yes I know how much the recommended VPNs cost. I can read. Please do not interrogate me about it.

I've been wanting to get into torrenting for a while, particularly contributing to private trackers related to music (and to a lesser extent retro games, though I don't have much original stuff to put there as it's harder to find rare games than rare music). FMHY recommends RiseUp if I must get a free VPN while I'm working on my financial situation, though I'm not sure whether it's been tested in court. What are my options, if any?

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[-] seathru@lemmy.sdf.org 64 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Use someone else's wifi.

I used to park my car in a Home Depot parking lot when I went to work with a laptop torrenting until the battery died.

[-] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 26 points 11 months ago

I lived above a Starbucks for a while, that was the best VPN I ever had!

[-] iloveDigit@piefed.social 7 points 11 months ago

Hard to get a positive seed ratio this way, but definitely seems like best bet for someone that can't afford airvpn

this post was submitted on 07 Nov 2025

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