This is where VPNs — which encrypt data leaving your computer and make it impossible for others to see what you’re downloading — come in handy. To the uninitiated, These virtual private networks assign a virtual IP address to obscure your real location from others, which is important when sharing snippets of files with other users of a torrenting client, especially if what you’re sharing is copyrighted material. (This is of course illegal and we do not condone it!)