If you haven’t configured qbittorrent and you are using the default settings then no, you are simply using your normal connection, not the VPN one.
Look here on what you did wrong:
The country can’t ban torrenting as those are simply connections to other users.
Having Port forwarding can reduce overall security if not managed properly, its not that big of a deal, it doesn’t add all that much efficiency unless your dealing with a large number of downloads at a time.
It’s sort of like a VPN except that it’s mainly just for browsing and is one of the steps for accessing the dark web.
Use a Mac or linux not windows
lol i didnt know /s was sarcasm. i should know what tør is but forgot. thanks anyway for reminding, but you still haven’t explained what it is for those who dont know (asking for a friend) lol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(network)
My best understanding of it is that it encrypts everything and sends it out to different peers who then eventually route it to the final destination where it’s unencrypted.
So if your friend is looking to obtain some material that even sites that offer bootleg copies of copyrighted material refuse to host for moral reasons, then that’s the best thing to look into.
least sketchy reddit conversation (colorized, 1953)