In March, TorrentFreak published an article which aimed to answer the question 'Are Private BitTorrent Trackers Safe?' Now, an internet piracy investigator has admitted that his organisation has successfully infiltrated private BitTorrent trackers and is actively collecting information.

Private groups are paranoid about being discovered, and are like members' clubs; you must be introduced by an existing member. Nevertheless, some have been infiltrated, according to Peter Anaman, a senior internet investigator for legal firm Covington and Burling. "Many groups didn't start off as private. They became private because they felt threatened, so we were able to get in when they were open," he says. The company's network of contacts can also invite it into closed groups that they have infiltrated. "Once you're in, you never take action. You just listen," he says.