RESEARCHERS MAKE BITTORRENT ANONYMOUS AND IMPOSSIBLE TO SHUT DOWN

[dmnEPC]

A team of researchers at Delft University of Technology has found a way to address this problem. With Tribler they’ve developed a robust BitTorrent client that doesn’t rely on central servers. Instead, it’s designed to keep BitTorrent alive, even when all torrent search engines, indexes and trackers are pulled offline.

“Tribler makes BitTorrent anonymous and impossible to shut down,” Tribler’s lead researcher Dr. Pouwelse tells T

“Recent events show that governments do not hesitate to block Twitter, raid websites, confiscate servers and steal domain names. The Tribler team has been working for 10 years to prepare for the age of server-less solutions and aggressive suppressors.”

To top that, the most recent version of Tribler that was released today also offers anonymity to its users through a custom-built in Tor network. This allows users to share and publish files without broadcasting their IP-addresses to the rest of the world.

After thorough tests of the anonymity feature earlier this year, it’s now built into the latest release with end-to-end encryption. Tribler implemented a Tor-like onion routing network which hides who is seeding or sharing files. Users can vary the number of “hops” the client uses to increase anonymity.

“Tribler creates a new dedicated network for anonymity that is in no way connected to the main Tor network. By using Tribler you become part of a Tor-like network and help others become anonymous,” Dr. Pouwelse says.

“That means you no longer have any exposure in any swarm, either downloading or seeding,” he adds.

and the downside

The downside to the increase in privacy is higher bandwidth usage. After all, users themselves also become proxies and have to relay the transfers of others. In addition, the anonymity feature may also slow down transfer speeds depending on how much other users are willing to share.

Article

Tribler

I have yet to try this, I guess time will tell if it's going to be adopted. Anyone have any experience with Tribler?

EDIT: BitTorrent is already impossible to shutdown, he search capabilities now that's a different story. This shall be interesting.

 

[mpbiz]

BUY BUY BUY

 

[dmnEPC]

IF you're interested in the specifics of the anoniminty , here is the white paper on Github

 

[WickedJoe]

But if it uses Tor-like technology to hide your ip it has the same prob that tor has which is it lets others use your ip. And while you might be able to avoid prosecution if someone else downloads CP from your IP.. you might not be able to avoid the gun shot to the gut you get when a hopped up 60 IQ cop busts your door down in the initial raid.

 

[Lucidity]

It's what people have been saying someone should do ever since Napster and someone finally did it, so that's something.

Unsurprisingly it's slim pickings in terms of content and I can barely even get a connection to download anything from a single peer, but that will only get better. If it gets enough momentum it will be huge.

I think the most exciting implication of the success of technology like this is not better access to pirated content but truly decentralized, anonymous, free, and censorship-resistant publishing of content.

 

[acidie]

And while you might be able to avoid prosecution if someone else downloads CP from your IP.

I know of at least two countries where this isn't a legal excuse.

They changed the law to make the account holder for the IP address 100% liable for any data transmitted even if they didn't transmit it (WiFi, botnet, Tor, etc).

 

[dmnEPC]

god damn it. Looks like Tribler is far from ready. DO your own research, and use at your own risk.

TLDR: Do not use this if your threat model includes active attackers, adversaries versed in cryptography, those with lots of money, or if you wish to be anonymous