If you can’t live without torrents you should think how safe you are when downloading files. Unsecured connection makes your identity visible to dozens of cybercriminals, hackers, spies, let alone copyright holders. It comes as no surprise that many users want to guard themselves by using a VPN. PrivateVPN’s name suggests it is the best choice for your privacy but is it really so? Can the provider safeguard you while you share files with other users? Is PrivateVPN good for torrenting at all? Read on and you’ll find the answers.
Does PrivateVPN Allow Torrenting?
PrivateVPN claims it supports torrenting P2P for its clients. The company even boasts that it purchases high-capacity traffic from tier-1 IP transit providers to allow for the best speeds. However, it doesn’t mean that torrenting is possible on every server. It turns out that PrivateVPN allow torrents traffic only in the UK. Honestly, it is not the best option considering the UK’s copyright laws.
The service has no restrictions regarding the amount of traffic you consume within a month. It promises blazing speeds and some servers really provide them, but everything depends on your location. If you live close to the UK your torrenting experience will be quite nice. Otherwise, the speeds may be sluggish.
Are You Protected While Torrenting with PrivateVPN?
PrivateVPN is a Sweden-based service. The country is a member of the well-known spy treaty the 14 Eyes. It means that the government monitors the activities of its citizens and can secretly use VPN services as their source of information. Right now this is just speculations and currently, I am not aware of any such cases. However, recently Sweden announced its plans to adopt data retention laws according to which VPNs will be obliged to keep user logs.
Right now the service has no traffic records and it claims to be absolutely log-less. I suppose PrivateVPN have a weird notion about no logs because they definitely retain some. In particular, they collect data about user IP addresses and cookies. Moreover, the service allows third-parties to obtain information about its users to ‘improve their site or for marketing’. That said, the data they log is not enough to identify their clients and cooperation with other companies doesn’t necessary imply a weak user privacy.
At least you shouldn’t worry that your data might be intercepted by cybercriminals or hackers. PrivateVPN offers a military-grade OpenVPN protocol that is currently the best you can get. Other protocols are also available but OpenVPN offers the best combination of speed and protection.
If you don’t need encryption you can opt for SOCKS5 or HTTP Proxy. Those are great options for torrents because they help keep users anonymous and don’t affect download speeds too much.
If you are scared of disconnects that may happen during your VPN session, PrivateVPN has a solution – Kill Switch, although it is only available in the VPN app for Windows. The service has IP and IPv6 leak protection as well, however, some users complain about DNS leakage.
PrivateVPN Plans and Prices
PrivateVPN can be yours for as low as $3.88 per month if you opt for an annual subscription (billed as $50.40). If you are not ready for a long-term commitment there is a 3-months plan with a price tag of $5.25 per month ($15.75 one-time payment). If you prefer to pay monthly the cost of the subscription will be $7.67 per month.
The company doesn’t have a free trial period but if its services are not to your liking you can get your money back within 30-days refund window.
PrivateVPN Alternatives for Your Torrenting Needs
PrivateVPN doesn’t live up to expectations if your goal is to be safe on the Internet. Fortunately, you are free to choose any other service with strong security features. NordVPN is an industry leader when it comes to user protection. Its reliable encryption protocols, an abundance of anonymity-enhancing functions, and a surefire zero-logging policy make NordVPN a perfect choice for torrent enthusiasts.
PrivateVPN for Torrenting Final Words
PrivateVPN claims it is a secure and torrent-friendly service. However, if you take a closer look you will discover that the provider is neither safe nor torrent-supporting. Yes, p2p traffic is allowed but only on UK based servers. The invasive logging policy makes it a bad choice for security-concerned users. Summing up, PrivateVPN is not a good option for your torrent activities.