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KickassTorrents

KickassTorrents, commonly abbreviated KAT, was a torrent directory website that indexed torrent files and magnet links for BitTorrent-based peer-to-peer file sharing.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

KickassTorrents, commonly abbreviated KAT, was a torrent directory website that indexed torrent files and magnet links for BitTorrent-based peer-to-peer file sharing. Launched in 2008, it became one of the world’s most visited BitTorrent directories before the original site was taken offline in 2016 after its domain was seized by the U.S. government.

Overview

KickassTorrents was a BitTorrent index that helped users find torrent files and magnet links. It was among the most popular torrent directories globally before its shutdown in 2016.

History

The site was founded in 2008 and rose to prominence by 2014. Its original domain was seized in July 2016, ending the official service.

Operation

KAT functioned as a directory rather than a file host, meaning it pointed users to torrent metadata and magnet links used by BitTorrent clients. This structure made it part of the broader peer-to-peer file-sharing ecosystem.

After the shutdown

After the original shutdown, unofficial mirror and proxy sites appeared, but these were not the official KickassTorrents service. Their reliability and safety vary, and many are associated with piracy-related content.

Key facts

  • KickassTorrents was a directory site for torrent files and magnet links used in peer-to-peer file sharing.
  • It was founded in 2008 and grew to become the most visited BitTorrent directory in the world by November 2014, according to Alexa ranking cited by Wikipedia.
  • The original site went offline on 20 July 2016 after the domain was seized by the U.S. government.
  • The site did not host the shared files themselves; it indexed links to content distributed through the BitTorrent network.
  • KAT is widely associated with copyrighted-content sharing and torrent piracy discussions, which is why mirror and proxy sites are often treated as unofficial and unreliable.
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Canadian context

Canadian readers may encounter KickassTorrents in discussions of torrenting, copyright enforcement, and the risks of unofficial mirror sites; Canadian law and internet service provider policies can affect access to torrent-related services.

Frequently asked questions

What is KickassTorrents?
KickassTorrents was a torrent directory website that indexed torrent files and magnet links for BitTorrent peer-to-peer sharing.
Is KickassTorrents still working?
The original KickassTorrents site is not still working; it went offline on 20 July 2016 after its domain was seized by the U.S. government.
What happened to KickassTorrents?
The original site was taken offline in 2016 when its domain was seized by the U.S. government.
Who owned KickassTorrents?
The provided sources do not identify a verified owner in a way that can be stated confidently here. Some secondary sources mention an alleged founder, but that is not enough for a neutral, verified encyclopedia entry.
Is KickassTorrents safe?
The original site is no longer operating, and unofficial mirror or proxy sites are not authoritative or consistently reliable. Because torrent-index sites can expose users to malware, copyright-infringing material, and deceptive ads, safety cannot be assumed.
KickassTorrents alternatives?
Commonly named alternatives include other torrent index sites such as The Pirate Bay, 1337x, RARBG, YTS, and LimeTorrents, though availability and legality vary by jurisdiction.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KickassTorrents
    Supports: Founding date, description as a torrent directory, popularity, and 2016 shutdown after U.S. domain seizure.
  2. BitBrowser — https://www.bitbrowser.net/blog/access-kickass-torrents
    Supports: Claims that the site used torrent files and magnet links, that it shut down in 2016, and that mirrors/proxies exist; secondary source.
  3. MEXC News — https://www.mexc.com/news/723902
    Supports: States that the original site was shut down in 2016 and that proxy/mirror sites are unofficial.
  4. AlternativeTo — https://alternativeto.net/software/kickass-torrents/about/
    Supports: Describes KickassTorrents as a torrent search engine and notes the 2016 takedown; secondary source.
  5. NSTBrowser — https://www.nstbrowser.io/en/blog/how-to-access-kickass-torrents-safely
    Supports: Discusses risks and safety precautions around accessing torrent mirrors; secondary source.