If you don't want junk, you need to be in closed communities. For those you need to upload a minimum ratio or get banned. Or buy premium or upload credit. But closed communities don't have everything, so you're limited, and need to have several communities to find what you need. But in some places you will be fined when downloading anything, like in Germany. So you also need a VPN, one that does not log. Then you need a proper download application, one without ads and which doesn't use your machine for crypto mining in secret in the background. Or you can fill up your drives with malware, viruses and other junk, wrong files, etc. by using open websites. While still being tracked, having to upload data, being vulnerable.

Sure, torrents are super easy, so was limewire. But it's not a good and safe way to pirate. It's like buying street food in Africa: it's super easy but the chance of not getting food poisoning is rather slim.