While it is well known that many internet providers actively block access to torrent sites, the reasons why they do so remain a bit of a mystery. Why would a provider want to prevent users from accessing torrent content? There are two main reasons why your ISP might block access to torrent sites: legal compliance and bandwidth usage. Let’s take a look at both of these in more detail.
Legal Compliance
There are many legal reasons why providers may want to block access to torrent sites. For example, it may be a response to an infringement notice that the company received due to copyright violations. It’s also possible that the ISP has been ordered to block access to pirate sites in response to a court order. If a provider fails to comply with these orders, it could face fines or have its license to operate in the country revoked.
There are also moral and ethical considerations that come into play when it comes to blocking access to torrent sites. For example, some providers block access to torrent sites as part of a commitment to protecting children from harmful or inappropriate content. Other ISPs may block torrent sites to comply with a country’s censorship laws.
Bandwidth Usage
The other common reason why an internet provider would block access to torrent sites is due to bandwidth usage. Some providers actively block access to torrent sites to prevent users from overloading the network. It’s estimated that around 77% of internet providers actively block torrent sites as a way to reduce network stress and costs.
Blocking torrent sites can help to alleviate some of the strain that is put on a network when users download and share large files. This presents a major problem for providers as bandwidth is usually a limited resource.
If a provider’s network isn’t equipped to handle the extra strain, it could result in poor network performance or service outages. Blocking torrent sites can help ISPs to avoid this issue by preventing users from downloading large files.
Yes, You Can Still Have Them Unblocked!
As you can see, there are many reasons why ISPs may block access to torrent sites. There are also many reasons why people use torrent sites in the first place. Whether you’re an ISP blocking access to torrent sites due to bandwidth usage or a user who needs to access blocked torrent sites for one of many reasons, it’s important to know how to unblock torrent sites. Thankfully, this is a relatively easy feat and can be done in a variety of ways.
