Torrentz

{{More citations needed section|date=August 2016}}

Torrentz's user interface was simple; it had only a user menu and a search panel. Users were not required to register before searching files.

To perform a search, users would simply type in a string of keywords within the autocomplete-enabled search field and execute the search by either pressing the search button in the UI or the enter key on the keyboard. From there, a list of matching torrent files were displayed on the screen for the user to choose from. This list could be filtered by size, age (one day, three days, one week or one month) and by "safety & quality" ("any", "good" or "verified").{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}} The "good" filter was applied by default, and "verified" was reserved for torrents uploaded by well-known groups.{{cite web |title = Torrentz Introduces Verified Torrents and More New Features |url = http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-new-features-and-verified-torrents-080129/ |author = Ernesto |date = 29 January 2008 |work = TorrentFreak |access-date = 6 July 2015 |archive-date = 28 October 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141028145817/http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-new-features-and-verified-torrents-080129/ |url-status = live }}

Selecting a torrent from the search results list would take the user to another page listing the websites currently hosting the specified torrent (with which users would download files). As Torrentz used meta-search engines, users would be redirected to other torrent sites to download content (commonly KickassTorrents, which was considered safe to use).{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

In November 2008 scammers using fake papers attempted to take over the torrentz.com domain. As a backup, the site administrator set up the domain torrentz.eu.{{cite web |url = http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-faces-hostile-domain-takeover-081105/ |title = Torrentz Faces Hostile Domain Takeover |publisher = Torrentfreak.com |date = 2008-11-05 |access-date = 2011-04-16 |archive-date = 6 July 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150706181725/http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-faces-hostile-domain-takeover-081105/ |url-status = live }} After 18 December 2010, torrentz.eu became the site's default domain, due to the domain name seizures carried out by US authorities on various torrent websites.{{cite web |url = http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-domain-exodus-continues-as-torrentz-dumps-com-101218/ |title = Torrentz dumps .com |publisher = Torrentfreak.com |date = 2010-12-18 |access-date = 2011-04-16 |archive-date = 20 April 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110420130417/http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-domain-exodus-continues-as-torrentz-dumps-com-101218/ |url-status = live }}

In 2013, Paramount Pictures sent a DMCA claim to Google to remove the Torrentz homepage and two other pages from its search engine. Torrentz counter-claimed on this request, claiming that the links did not infringe any copyright policies.{{cite news |title=Paramount Censors Torrentz's Torrentless Homepage from Google |url=http://torrentfreak.com/paramount-censors-torrentzs-torrentless-homepage-from-google-130315/ |publisher=TorrentFreak |date=15 March 2013 |access-date=26 May 2014 |archive-date=23 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323105811/http://torrentfreak.com/paramount-censors-torrentzs-torrentless-homepage-from-google-130315/ |url-status=live }}

On 26 May 2014, Torrentz had its domain name suspended without a court order{{cite news |title=Registrars Can't Hold 'Pirate' Domains Hostage Without Court Order |url=http://torrentfreak.com/registrars-cant-hold-pirate-domains-hostage-without-court-order-140110/ |publisher=TorrentFreak |date=10 January 2014 |access-date=26 May 2014 |archive-date=27 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527230041/http://torrentfreak.com/registrars-cant-hold-pirate-domains-hostage-without-court-order-140110/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://blog.easydns.org/2013/10/08/whatever-happened-to-due-process/ |title=Whatever Happened to "Due Process" ? |date=8 October 2013 |publisher=easyDNS |access-date=27 May 2014 |archive-date=5 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205034320/http://blog.easydns.org/2013/10/08/whatever-happened-to-due-process/ |url-status=live }} following a request from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit. A day later, the suspension of torrentz.eu was lifted. The website had three alternative domains (.me, .ch and .in) and hoped to move the .eu domain to a new registrar. All of these domains have since been blocked within the UK by Sky.{{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-eu-domain-suspended-uk-police-request-140526/ |title=Torrentz.eu Domain suspended after UK Police request |publisher=TorrentFreak |date=26 May 2014 |access-date=26 May 2014 |archive-date=26 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140526133435/http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-eu-domain-suspended-uk-police-request-140526/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-eu-domain-unsuspended-back-action-140527/ |title=Torrentz.eu Domain Unsuspended and Back in Action |date=27 May 2014 |publisher=TorrentFreak |access-date=27 May 2014 |archive-date=27 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527230159/http://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-eu-domain-unsuspended-back-action-140527/ |url-status=live }} The website had similarly been banned in India in 2012 for copyright violations, this led to incidents of hacking activism by Anonymous demanding the unblocking of Torrentz and other websites which had been blocked.{{cite news|title=Anonymous hacks Indian sites to protest against Vimeo, others being blocked|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/anonymous-hacks-indian-sites-to-protest-against-vimeo-others-being-blocked-212240|newspaper=NDTV}}{{cite news|title=Anonymous hacks into Reliance servers; prevents users from accessing Facebook, Twitter|url=http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/anonymous-hacks-into-reliance-servers-prevents-users-from-accessing-facebook-twitter-223149|newspaper=gadgets.ndtv.com}}

On 5 August 2016, Torrentz was shut down by its operators with the message "Torrentz will always love you. Farewell." displayed; it operated for over 13 years.[https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-shuts-down-largest-torrent-meta-search-engine-says-farewell-160805/ "Torrentz Shuts Down, Largest Torrent Meta-Search Engine Says Farewell"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805184400/https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz-shuts-down-largest-torrent-meta-search-engine-says-farewell-160805/ |date=5 August 2016 }}. TorrentFreak 5 August 2016

In August 2016, a few days after Torrentz shut down, an unofficial clone of Torrentz - Torrentz2.eu - was launched that initially indexed 60 million torrents.[http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/torrentz-eu-clone-website-goes-online-2964137/ Torrentz2.eu clone rises to take place of earlier website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523005933/http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/torrentz-eu-clone-website-goes-online-2964137/ |date=23 May 2017 }} 10 August 2016 Later that month, another unofficial clone - torrentzeu.to - was launched that initially indexed 30 million torrents.[http://www.techtimes.com/articles/174475/20160822/new-torrentz-clone-appears-alternative-mirror-site-includes-pirate-bay-and-extratorrent-searches.htm New Torrentz Clone Appears: Alternative Mirror Site Includes Pirate Bay And Extratorrent Searches] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601235732/http://www.techtimes.com/articles/174475/20160822/new-torrentz-clone-appears-alternative-mirror-site-includes-pirate-bay-and-extratorrent-searches.htm |date=1 June 2017 }} Tech Times At the end of June 2020, the torrentz2.eu domain was shut down but the backup domain torrentz2.is remained accessible.{{Cite web |url=https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz2-eu-domain-suspended-by-registry-on-public-prosecutors-order-200628/ |title=Torrentz2.eu Domain Suspended by Registry on Public Prosecutor's Order * TorrentFreak |access-date=13 July 2020 |archive-date=14 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714014825/https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz2-eu-domain-suspended-by-registry-on-public-prosecutors-order-200628/ |url-status=live }} Since November 2020, torrentz2.is and its mirror pages return a "503 error" to its visitors,{{Cite web |url=https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz2-suffers-prolonged-downtime-and-returns-a-503-error-201127/ |title=Torrentz2 Suffers Prolonged 'Downtime' and Returns a 503 Error |access-date=5 December 2020 |archive-date=5 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205002954/https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz2-suffers-prolonged-downtime-and-returns-a-503-error-201127/ |url-status=live }} although its .onion domain remains functional.{{Cite web |url=https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz2-mystery-downtime-continues-but-its-tor-domain-works-fine-201210/ |title=Torrentz2 Mystery Downtime Continues but its .Onion Domain Works Fine |access-date=11 January 2021 |archive-date=30 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230032827/https://torrentfreak.com/torrentz2-mystery-downtime-continues-but-its-tor-domain-works-fine-201210/ |url-status=live }}

• Comparison of BitTorrent sites
• List of websites blocked in the United Kingdom
• Internet censorship in Australia

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{{BitTorrent}}

Category:Internet properties established in 2003

Category:Defunct BitTorrent websites

Category:Finnish websites

Category:Notorious markets

Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2016

Category:Internet censorship in India