MUTE is a new file sharing technology that is open-source, cross platform and that allows individuals to share files with others without incurring in the privacy and security issues encountered by typical users of Kazaa, Morpheus, Limewire, WinMX and many other Internet-based file sharing solutions.

MUTE changes all of the rules by following ants behaviour and by providing a highly anonymous and protected approach to sharing files. MUTE is a new peer-to-peer network that provides easy search-and-download functionality while also protecting your privacy.

MUTE protects your privacy by avoiding direct connections with your sharing partners in the network. Most other file sharing programs use direct connections to download or upload, making your identity available to spies from the RIAA and other unscrupulous organizations.

Ants display collectively intelligent behavior when foraging for food or fighting off predators. Each ant in the colony acts in a rather simple way, but together they end up doing something clever, like discovering the shortest path between their ant hill and a food source. MUTE's routing mechanism is inspired by ant behavior.

MUTE is free and works on Linux, Unix, Mac and Windows systems.

More info here.