How Safe Is uTorrent? You Should Know The Privacy Risks

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uTorrent is one of the most popular torrent clients that enables users to download any torrent file from the internet. Its popularity is because of its sleek user interface and several other user-friendly features that ensure a hassle-free torrent downloading experience. 

However, there are serious concerns regarding the privacy and security of uTorrent. If you ask about the safety of uTorrent, then don’t expect a simple answer. 

If you want to protect your privacy on uTorrent, then this piece is for you. Read this comprehensive guide and learn about different ways to remain secure while downloading torrents from uTorrent. 

Why Should You Use uTorrent?

For more than 13 years, uTorrent has been the favorite choice of users. It uses the BitTorrent protocol to download and share files across the web. Various impressive features make uTorrent a dominant torrent client. Users prefer to use uTorrent over any other torrent client because of the following reasons:

  • Scheduled Downloads: With just a single click, you can automatically schedule your downloads and manage their bandwidth. Also, by using this feature, you can prioritize which files need to be downloaded first.
  • Remote Management: This impressive feature allows you to manage the uTorrent client and have complete control over your activities. You can start and stop the downloading process remotely via a web browser.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The torrent client comes with a simple, organized, and easy-to-use interface. Even if you’re a beginner, you can use it without anyone’s help.
  • Storage Size: uTorrent is among the few torrent clients that are light in weight and consume less space on the device. 
  • Built-in Search Engine: It comes with an innovative search engine functionality that allows users to search torrent websites and files using your web browser.
  • Use Proxies: If you’re concerned about your online privacy, uTorrent allows you to configure the BitTorrent proxies and download files without revealing your IP address.

uTorrent’s popularity is not just limited to these features but also its performance. It works exceptionally well on multiple platforms and ensures a seamless downloading process. 

Is uTorrent Safe to Use?

The simple answer is that it depends on how and for what purpose you’re using it. But it doesn’t mean that it is free from vulnerabilities or doesn’t have any security flaws. uTorrent has a history of vulnerabilities that makes it quite unreliable to use. Below is an insight into the reasons which makes uTorrent unsafe to use:

Bitcoin Mining Software

In 2015, uTorrent hit the headlines as the software came with bitcoin mining software named Epic Scale that steals CPU cycles and generates revenue for the third parties upon downloading on the target’s device. By doing so, it increases the load on the computer and affects its efficiency. 

Logs Data

When it comes to offering a top-notch level of privacy to the users, uTorrent lags and its privacy policy confirms it. As per their privacy policy, while you use the uTorrent service, your location, payment info, account details, and other sensitive information such as your IP address and port numbers are retained by the company. Moreover, uTorrent is owned by Rainberry, Inc., which is based in the US which is a prominent member of the five eyes, nine eyes, and 14 eyes alliance. The company can even share your data with higher authorities without your consent.

No Online Anonymity

When you download torrents using uTorrent, your IP address is visible to everyone present on that network. Shockingly, not all members are there with good intentions. The hackers might be looking for potential people whom they can target. By tracking your IP address, they could learn about your online activities and can even steal your valuable data. 

Malware Attacks

Since within the P2P network, anyone can upload torrent files, hackers can upload the malware-infected files in the swarm. Upon downloading, any such files will ultimately infect your device with spyware, viruses, and other types of malware. 

ISP Tracking

By tracking your IP address, your ISP can know that you’re involved in torrenting. They can send you warning letters, and still if you don’t, they start throttling your connection. As a result, you experience slow internet speed, and this ruins your torrenting experience. 

All these reasons make uTorrent unsecure to use. It is high time to practice specific proactive measures so you can securely access the torrent client. 

How to Use uTorrent on Your Device?

To install uTorrent on your device is not at all a daunting task. Just a few steps, and you can download your desired torrent file. Here are the step-by-step instructions for installing the uTorrent client on your device: 

  1. Download uTorrent software from its official website
  2. Click on the .exe.file, and this will automatically start the installation process.
  3. Welcome to the uTorrent Setup Wizard window that will appear on your screen; tap on Next. 
  4. First, go through the license agreement and privacy policy of the torrent client and if you find it suitable, click on Agree
  5. uTorrent configuration appears, do check all the boxes and proceed to Next. 
  6. If you want to run the uTorrent app on your device, you’ll be asked to click on Next. Follow the instructions and hit the Next button.
  7. Click on Decline when it asks if you want to install adware. 
  8. Tap on the Done button, and that’s it. 

You can now download any torrent file using uTorrent. But be sure that you pick up the suitable torrent file with a maximum number of seeders. Also, do check the file size and other details to avoid any issues. 

Four Best Methods to Access uTorrent Safely? 

Every problem comes with a solution. Despite the risks and vulnerabilities that uTorrent poses, you can maintain your privacy on uTorrent. All you need to do is follow some protective measures and enjoy downloading torrents safely and securely. Below are the three best methods for accessing uTorrent safely. So, let’s jump into them:

Use a VPN

Using a torrent-compatible VPN is the best and reliable method to enhance your privacy while downloading torrents from uTorrent. It is the best anonymity software that provides greater online protection to users. When you connect to a VPN, it encrypts and routes your traffic to a remote VPN server that changes your IP address and location. This way, it prevents copyright trolls and ISPs from knowing that you’re downloading torrents and ensures your anonymity over the web. 

Moreover, the VPN comes with a vast server network that is spread in different locations. By connecting you to the nearest P2P server, a VPN provides you with fast downloading speeds and helps to prevent speed throttling issues. 

A VPN offers numerous security and privacy-boosting software that ensures a safe downloading experience. Some of these features are as follows:

  • It uses strong AES-256 bit encryption and secure protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard that keep your activities hidden from all snooping eyes. 
  • By changing your IP address and encrypting the data traffic, the VPN guarantees maximum online protection. 
  • A VPN offers a range of torrent-friendly features like a kill switch, SOCKS5 proxy, and split tunneling that further boosts your privacy on the uTorrent client. 
  • It protects against various types of VPN leaks such as DNS, WebRTC, and Torrent IP leaks and ensures that none of your sensitive information gets leaked.  
  • Some VPNs come with built-in malware and ad-blocker features and help prevent malware and pop-up ads from running your downloading.

As a whole, using a VPN can retain your online privacy and helps in getting rid of issues that uTorrent poses. However, it’s recommended to use VPNs that are compatible with torrenting. Check out our guide for the best VPN for torrenting and choose a VPN from it. 

Run a Reliable Antivirus Software

With increasing risks of malware, spyware, and viruses infecting your device using antivirus software has become the need of the hour. Before you download any torrent file using the uTorrent client, run the antivirus software on your device. By doing so, you can reduce the risks of viruses and malware infecting your devices. The P2P network does have torrent files containing malware, and such files can harm your device and result in data theft. The antivirus will scan all the files you download for malware and viruses and flag the files with any suspicious behavior. 

Block Ads

One major drawback of using the uTorrent is that the pop-up ads interrupt your downloading. These ads are both intrusive and malicious that annoy and risk your online security. At times, the pop-up ads are malicious in nature, and clicking on them can download malware or spyware on your device. As a whole, it violates users’ digital privacy and should be avoided. 

uTorrent allows users to configure their settings and block ads manually. Since the process is complicated, one needs to have technical knowledge.

Use Secure Torrent Websites

Make sure that you download torrents from secure and reliable sources. This might help you in finding the right torrent files that are free from malware and other risks. These websites are safe to use and make your torrenting experience better. While you select a torrent website, check how it performs in the past, if it is blocked in any regions, and what features does it offer to make you feel safe. 

All the methods mentioned above are the most reliable for accessing the uTorrent safely. Apart from these, you can switch to the premium plan that uTorrent offers or use a firewall to use uTorrent without being tracked and monitored. 

Can uTorrent Be Trusted?

uTorrent is one of the oldest torrent clients that is widely famous among users. It offers several impressive features that make your torrent downloading experience worth amazing. Also, uTorrent is legal to use until you aren’t using it for downloading copyrighted content. However, the software comes with significant vulnerabilities that you can’t ignore. It has a long track record of risking users’ online privacy. Because of all this, the security researchers regarded it as malicious and unwanted software. All this is enough to stop trusting and using uTorrent. But, by relying on the best privacy tools mentioned above, you can use uTorrent without any security issues. 

Which Is Better, uTorrent or BitTorrent?

Both uTorrent and BitTorrent have been in the market for the past several years. To rate anyone better is difficult because both have experienced security flaws and vulnerabilities, and such things can happen in the future. Hence, no one is better when it comes to security and privacy.

Do I Need a VPN for uTorrent?

When you download torrent files using uTorrent, several threats and risks can expose security and privacy issues for you like; you can get infected with malware or viruses. Your ISP can catch you from downloading torrents, which can even lead to penalties and imprisonment in extreme cases. By using a privacy-boosting software like a VPN, you can quickly mitigate these issues. A VPN’s ability to hide your IP address and encrypt your data takes your digital privacy to the next level. No one can view what you are downloading, nor can you track you. You can indirectly prevent malware and other threats.

Moreover, the VPN offers advanced security and privacy-boosting features that further strengthens your online privacy. So, yes! You should use a torrent VPN for uTorrent.

Is uTorrent Worth Using?

uTorrent offers amazing features like remote management, an easy-to-use interface, and a built-in search engine that allows you quickly search the torrent files. All these features make it worth using. 

Conclusion

uTorrent is a famous torrent client that is safe and legal to use. But when it comes to digital privacy and security, it comes with significant issues that you can’t ignore. Despite knowing all the problems, if you still want to use uTorrent, it is suggested to implement the security practices. 

By using an ad-blocker, antivirus software, or a VPN, you can securely use uTorrent. However, using a VPN is the most reliable method to ensure your security on the uTorrent. You can use other measures as well but make sure to use a VPN along with it. It’s because only a VPN offers a data encryption feature, and it is essential for keeping you secure and protected while you download files using uTorrent.