# TorrentFreak

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**TorrentFreak** (**TF**) is a [blog](/source/Blog) dedicated to reporting the latest news and trends on the [BitTorrent](/source/BitTorrent) protocol and [file sharing](/source/File_sharing), as well as on [copyright infringement](/source/Copyright_infringement) and [digital rights](/source/Digital_rights).

The website was started in November 2005 by a [Dutchman](/source/Dutch_people) using the pseudonym "Ernesto van der Sar".[1][2] He was joined by Andy "Enigmax" Maxwell and Ben Jones in 2007.[2][3] Regular contributors include [Rickard Falkvinge](/source/Rickard_Falkvinge), founder of the [Pirate Party](/source/Pirate_Party_(Sweden)).[4] The online publication eCommerceTimes, in 2009, described "Ernesto" as the pseudonym of Lennart Renkema, owner of TorrentFreak.[5] TorrentFreak's text is [free content](/source/Free_content) under a [Creative Commons](/source/Creative_Commons) [Attribution-NonCommercial](/source/Creative_Commons_license#Non-commercial_licenses) version 3.0 license.[6]

Their lead researcher and community manager was the [Pirate Party](/source/Pirate_Party) activist [Andrew Norton](/source/Andrew_Norton_(Pirate_Party)), from 2007 to 2022.

TorrentFreak is incorporated in the Netherlands, with an office in Groningen and a mailing address in Manchester, United Kingdom.[3]

## Specialist areas

According to Canadian law scholar [Michael Geist](/source/Michael_Geist), TorrentFreak "is widely used as a source of original reporting on digital issues".[7]

Frequent areas of reporting include:

- The [City of London](/source/City_of_London)'s [Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit](/source/Police_Intellectual_Property_Crime_Unit)[8][9]
- [United States Trade Representative](/source/United_States_Trade_Representative) and [Notorious Markets](/source/Notorious_Markets) reports[10]
- Anti-piracy [web blocking](/source/Block_(Internet))[11]
- [Torrent tracker](/source/Torrent_tracker) news[12]
- [VPN](/source/VPN) and [seedbox](/source/Seedbox) reviews[13]
- [File sharing](/source/File_sharing) website news
- [Copyright](/source/Copyright) law news
- [Warez scene](/source/Warez_scene) news

As well as other news affecting copyright, privacy, file sharing and adjacent topics.[3]

### Editorial stance

In a 2021 article, Andy Maxwell outlined TorrentFreak's editorial stance. He wrote: "As a publication entirely dedicated to reporting on copyright, piracy, [torrent](/source/Torrent_file), and streaming sites (plus all things closely related), here at TorrentFreak we aim to tell all 'sides' of the story. We do not shy away from reports that show that [piracy hurts sales](/source/Lost_sales) and we have no problem publishing research projects that show completely the opposite. It's called balanced reporting and it hurts absolutely no one."[14]

## History

On 17 August 2007, TorrentFreak reported that [Comcast](/source/Comcast) had begun [throttling](/source/Bandwidth_throttling) its upload bandwidth, specifically against BitTorrent users. This made [seeding](/source/Glossary_of_BitTorrent_terms#Seed), which is an essential part of the BitTorrent protocol, effectively impossible.[15] It was later determined that Comcast was using [Sandvine](/source/Sandvine) products, which implement network traffic shaping and policing, and include support for both blocking new and forcefully terminating established network connections. Comcast denied these claims whenever asked to comment. A guide for customer service representatives when asked about Comcast's BitTorrent throttling was leaked to [The Consumerist](/source/Consumerist) on 26 October 2007.[16]

Between October 2008 and March 2011, TorrentFreak ran a short-lived video news service titled torrentfreak.tv, directed by [Andrej Preston](/source/Andrej_Preston), founder of the torrent site [Suprnova](/source/Suprnova), and made available for streaming and download on [Mininova](/source/Mininova).[17][18]

On 21 August 2013, Comcast threatened TorrentFreak with legal action for reproducing publicly available court documents.[19][20] The document linked a Comcast subscriber with the [Prenda Law](/source/Prenda_Law) firm in a copyright infringement lawsuit.[21]

In August 2013, [Sky Broadband](/source/Sky_Broadband) [blocked](/source/Web_blocking_in_the_United_Kingdom) the site for UK customers after torrent site [EZTV](/source/EZTV) pointed its [DNS](/source/Domain_Name_System) servers to TorrentFreak's [IP address](/source/IP_address). In July 2014, the site was also blocked by the Sky Broadband Shield parental filter system.[22][23]

### 2020s

During the 2020s, TorrentFreak continued to focus on copyright, digital rights, and anti-piracy developments, covering topics such as court-ordered website blocking, IPTV enforcement, domain seizures, and new enforcement strategies by rights holders.[24]

In 2022, TorrentFreak highlighted the takedown of the e-book library [Z-Library](/source/Z-Library) and the increasing global scope of [ISP](/source/ISP) blocking orders in its annual “Most-Read News Articles of 2022”.[25]

In 2024, the site reported on film companies’ attempts to obtain a Reddit user’s torrenting history, illustrating the widening scope of discovery requests in U.S. piracy litigation.[26] It also covered the largest IPTV piracy trial in U.S. history, involving the Jetflicks and iStreamitAll services.[27]

In 2025, TorrentFreak reported on a $15 million judgment obtained by [Netflix](/source/Netflix), [Amazon](/source/Amazon_(company)), and several Hollywood studios against the operator of the pirate IPTV service Outer Limits.[28]

Throughout its history, TorrentFreak has documented copyright litigation, ISP enforcement policies, and digital rights cases, maintaining a reputation as a long-running independent publication focused on the intersection of technology and copyright law.

## References

1. Injijian, Allen (14 May 2007). ["Pwned: Final Project Interview #2: Ernesto of TorrentFreak.com"](http://uscpwned.blogspot.com/2007/05/final-project-interview-2-ernesto-of.html). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070630095336/http://uscpwned.blogspot.com/2007/05/final-project-interview-2-ernesto-of.html) 30 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 October 2012.

1. Smith, Ethan & McBride, Sarah (4 August 2008). ["Web Piracy: The Enemy Within?"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121781125541508813). *[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161025061013/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121781125541508813) 25 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 June 2010.

1. ["About TorrentFreak"](https://torrentfreak.com/about/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100627032828/http://torrentfreak.com/about/) 27 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 June 2010.

1. Profile. [Rick Falkvinge](https://torrentfreak.com/author/rick-falkvinge/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130116142544/http://torrentfreak.com/author/rick-falkvinge/) 16 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine, torrentfreak.com.

1. San Miguel, Renay (30 June 2009). ["Pirate Bay Decides to Join the Navy"](http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/67472.html). E-Commerce Times. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121026011541/http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/67472.html) 26 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 October 2012.

1. ["Copyright"](https://torrentfreak.com/copyright/). *TorrentFreak*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181027200527/https://torrentfreak.com/copyright/) 27 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 October 2018.

1. Geist, Michael (20 April 2010). ["The 2009 Copyright Consultation: Setting the Record Straight"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100627090359/http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4971/125/). Archived from [the original](http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4971/125/) on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2010.

1. ["File-sharing site back up after copyright suspension"](http://www.trademarksandbrandsonline.com/news/file-sharing-site-back-up-after-copyright-suspension-3943). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141223132309/http://www.trademarksandbrandsonline.com/news/file-sharing-site-back-up-after-copyright-suspension-3943) 23 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

1. Lee, Dave (29 July 2014). ["Police placing anti-piracy warning ads on illegal sites"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28523738). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141203014219/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28523738) 3 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

1. Johnson, Ted (15 November 2013). ["U.S. Trade Representative Defends Pending Trade Pact After WikiLeaks Disclosure"](https://variety.com/2013/biz/news/u-s-trade-representative-says-pending-pact-has-zero-to-do-with-sopa-1200838860/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150112054024/http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/u-s-trade-representative-says-pending-pact-has-zero-to-do-with-sopa-1200838860/) 12 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

1. Cooke, Chris (1 September 2014). ["MPAA research bigs up UK web-blocking"](http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/mpaa-research-bigs-up-uk-web-blocking/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141223124149/http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/mpaa-research-bigs-up-uk-web-blocking/) 23 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

1. Knowles, Jamillah (18 May 2012). ["UK Pirate Party sees more than 1.8m visits in 24 hours after ISPs block The Pirate Bay website"](https://thenextweb.com/uk/2012/05/18/uk-pirate-party-sees-more-than-1-8m-visits-in-24-hours-after-isps-block-the-pirate-bay-website/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150103014930/http://thenextweb.com/uk/2012/05/18/uk-pirate-party-sees-more-than-1-8m-visits-in-24-hours-after-isps-block-the-pirate-bay-website/) 3 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

1. Henry, Alan (23 March 2014). ["Five Best VPN Service Providers"](http://lifehacker.com/5935863/five-best-vpn-service-providers). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150101080303/http://lifehacker.com/5935863/five-best-vpn-service-providers) 1 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

1. Maxwell, Andy (January 3, 2021). ["Police Have a 'Secret Weapon' to Stop Fans Streaming Pirate TV For Free"](https://torrentfreak.com/police-have-a-secret-weapon-to-stop-fans-streaming-pirate-tv-for-free-210103/). *TorrentFreak*. Retrieved February 3, 2023.

1. Lawler, Ryan (21 August 2007). ["Comcast Takes on TorrentFreak"](http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=132115). Light Reading. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091027221933/http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=132115) 27 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 June 2010.

1. ["Comcast's "We Don't Throttle BitTorrent" Internal Talking Points Memo"](http://consumerist.com/consumer/leaks/comcasts-we-dont-throttle-bittorrent-internal-talking-points-memo-315791.php). [The Consumerist](/source/The_Consumerist). 26 October 2007. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20071027093002/http://consumerist.com/consumer/leaks/comcasts-we-dont-throttle-bittorrent-internal-talking-points-memo-315791.php) 27 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 June 2010.

1. Ernesto (20 March 2011). ["TorrentFreak TV Is Back!"](http://torrentfreak.com/torrentfreak-tv-is-back/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141029093635/https://torrentfreak.com/torrentfreak-tv-is-back/) 29 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

1. Roettgers, Janko (14 May 2011). ["Suprnova.org: Former Pirate King Embraces Web Video"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141028181754/https://gigaom.com/2011/05/14/suprnova-torrent-site-web-video/). Archived from [the original](https://gigaom.com/2011/05/14/suprnova-torrent-site-web-video/) on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

1. Franceschi-Bicchierai, Lorenzo (21 August 2013). ["Comcast Threatens to Sue TorrentFreak for Copyright Infringement"](http://mashable.com/2013/08/21/comcast-torrentfreak-copyright-infringement/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150103005808/http://mashable.com/2013/08/21/comcast-torrentfreak-copyright-infringement/) 3 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

1. ["Comcast Threatens to Sue TorrentFreak for Copyright Infringement (updated)"](https://torrentfreak.com/comcast-threatens-to-sue-torrentfreak-for-copyright-infringement-130821/). TorrentFreak. 21 August 2013. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130821112309/http://torrentfreak.com/comcast-threatens-to-sue-torrentfreak-for-copyright-infringement-130821/) 21 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 August 2013.

1. ["Comcast Business Record Affidavit"](https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Georgia_Northern_District_Court/2--12-cv-00262/AF_Holdings_LLC_v._Patel/61/15/). Docket Alarm, Inc. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002110/https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Georgia_Northern_District_Court/2--12-cv-00262/AF_Holdings_LLC_v._Patel/61/15/) 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 August 2013.

1. Shubber, Kadhim (9 August 2013). ["News site TorrentFreak 'blocked' by Sky's piracy filter"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160410204808/https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-08/09/torrentfreak-blocked). Archived from [the original](https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-08/09/torrentfreak-blocked) on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

1. Brewster, Thomas (6 January 2014). ["TorrentFreak News Site Blocked By Sky Porn Filter"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141223124304/http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/workspace/torrentfreak-blocked-by-sky-filter-135024#IBofIe5AmFVSk7bp.99). Archived from [the original](http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/workspace/torrentfreak-blocked-by-sky-filter-135024#IBofIe5AmFVSk7bp.99) on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

1. ["TorrentFreak – News"](https://torrentfreak.com/). Retrieved 15 October 2025.

1. ["TorrentFreak’s Most-Read News Articles of 2022"](https://torrentfreak.com/torrentfreaks-most-read-news-articles-of-2022-221231/). Retrieved 15 October 2025.

1. ["Film Companies Seek ‘Torrenting History’ Related to Redditor"](https://torrentfreak.com/film-companies-seek-torrenting-history-related-to-redditor-240220/). Retrieved 15 October 2025.

1. ["Biggest IPTV Piracy Trial in U.S. History Underway and Already Controversial"](https://torrentfreak.com/biggest-iptv-piracy-trial-in-u-s-history-underway-and-already-controversial-240612/). Retrieved 15 October 2025.

1. ["Netflix, Amazon & Hollywood Win $15 M Judgment Against U.S. Pirate IPTV Operator"](https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-amazon-hollywood-win-15m-judgment-against-u-s-pirate-iptv-operator/). Retrieved 15 October 2025.

## External links

- [Official website](https://torrentfreak.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [TorrentFreak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TorrentFreak) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TorrentFreak?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.