While downloading torrents, your IP address is visible to everyone in the swarm. Copyright holders and anti-piracy firms (such as Hadopi’s successors or international law firms) monitor popular torrents. In countries like Germany, the US, and France, you can receive a settlement letter or fine. Many users mitigate this risk with a VPN (Virtual Private Network), though that adds cost and complexity.
Because the official operators have been disrupted, numerous fake Torrent9 clones have emerged. These impostor sites are often riddled with: wwwtorrent9
A word of caution: If you type "wwwtorrent9" into a search engine, the first few results are frequently dangerous fakes. While downloading torrents, your IP address is visible
The short answer: In most Western countries, yes. A word of caution: If you type "wwwtorrent9"
The "Streaming vs. Downloading" Myth: Some users believe that downloading via torrent is safer than streaming. It is not. Torrenting requires you to upload pieces of the file to other users, legally making you a distributor of pirated content.