Mullvad Browser is a collaboration between the Tor Project and Mullvad VPN, offering a privacy-focused browser designed to be used with a VPN.
The easiest way to use the digital anonymity service Tor is through the Tor Browser. You download and use it like a regular browser, and it overlays your digital footprint making it difficult for anyone to track your online activities. Most importantly, the Tor Browser is designed with anti-surveillance measures that can prevent tracking and stop device fingerprinting techniques. However, you might not want to use the Tor Browser all the time because it has relatively slower page loading times and can be a bit cumbersome. But a new browser launched today, developed by the Tor Project's User Experience and Applications team, offers the same privacy focus, built on different infrastructure, and incorporates VPN support instead of Tor.
The tool is called Mullvad Browser, a collaboration between the Tor Project and the VPN manufacturer Mullvad. This free and open-source browser is now available for download. The VPN space is crowded, with some problematic players, but Mullvad has been a respected and trusted VPN because it is open source, does not profit from user data, and provides independent third-party audits of its systems and infrastructure. Nonetheless, the Mullvad Browser can be used with any VPN that you trust, or it can be used as a privacy-focused browser even without a VPN.
"We're not here to compete and win browser market share; we're here because our mission is to promote human rights through technology," said Isabela Fernandez, executive director of the Tor Project. "So, we want to offer an alternative for those who need privacy and need to circumvent censorship."
Both the Tor network and virtual private networks (VPNs) encrypt your network traffic and tunnel it through an intermediary, but Tor focuses on anonymity achieved through a specific scheme of sending traffic through a series of "hops" or special servers. In contrast, VPNs do not go to great lengths to anonymize your traffic but focus on providing privacy protection by creating a system where only you and the VPN provider can see your network activity. Therefore, the reputation of VPNs is complicated, as they only provide privacy if the VPN provider is trustworthy. However, they can be a valuable tool depending on your usage and environment.
"Mullvad's mission is to make mass surveillance impractical, and relying solely on a VPN is not enough to achieve online privacy - you also need a privacy-focused web browser," said Jan Jonsson, CEO of Mullvad. "We want to offer an equally excellent privacy-centered browser as the Tor Browser, specifically for users who want to connect to the internet through a VPN instead of the Tor network. The purpose of this collaboration is to offer people more privacy choices."
Both the Tor Project and Mullvad said they were attracted to each other's track record on human rights and digital privacy advocacy. Mullvad has been a long-time financial supporter of the non-profit Tor Project.
Other privacy browsers such as Brave, which also have built-in VPN functionality, have also received high praise and can be used with a VPN. However, the Tor Project claims that its years of experience in developing anti-tracking technologies such as cookie isolation and other anti-surveillance techniques mean that the Mullvad Browser is being launched with very high quality. Fernandez, of the Tor Project, added that the team made some discoveries and improvements in developing the Mullvad Browser, which have now been reintegrated into the Tor Browser.
Fernandez said, "Perhaps this new browser will attract an audience we cannot reach now. Multiple alternatives can coexist and support each other. We are working with other organizations to establish alternatives because this is a big fight. Our opponents are big companies, so we need to work together."
In addition, the Mullvad Browser also has some other privacy features. For example, it automatically blocks embedded ads and social media trackers and increases privacy protection by randomizing user agent headers. It also uses a JavaScript library called "FingerprintJS" which detects device fingerprinting technology and obfuscates device fingerprint information to prevent it from being used to track users.
Overall, the Mullvad Browser is a browser that places a high emphasis on privacy protection. It integrates some anti-surveillance technologies and supports VPN, providing additional privacy protection and anonymity. However, just like using any VPN or other privacy tool, using the Mullvad Browser cannot fully guarantee your privacy and anonymity, as these technologies are not absolute. Nevertheless, it is still a good choice, especially for users concerned about privacy issues.
The Tor Project encourages you to check out the Mullvad Browser and its features. It can be used without the Mullvad VPN, but it is recommended to use them together. If you want to learn more about this partnership, you can visit Mullvad.net/browser.