OK, so, I have a couple of questions:
- What’s the worst that can happen if I don’t use a VPN while pirating?
- Are free tier VPNs (like Proton VPN) good enough?
- I don’t want to pay much or anything for a VPN, is a way I can get a good free one, or set one myself somehow (I have experience with selfhosting) ?
- If not, which cheap one do you recommend?
EDIT: I pirate mostly movies, and rarely some TV series.
Other people have already answered this but keep in mind a lot of them are browser based. Even if you are using a web UI for your torrent client that’s not going to protect you. I’ve seen a few people here make that mistake.
Have you considered looking into direct downloads?
They are a bit more work but if you are motivated on going in without protection it’s a safer alternative.
If it helps you rationalise the cost of a VPN you can always think about how much money you save compare to paying for subscription services.