The ownership and future of Mullvad VPN (mullvad.net)

Article summary

The founders of Mullvad VPN, Daniel Berntsson and Fredrik Strömberg, stated that they will not sell the company and are committed to maintaining its independence and focus on privacy. They emphasized that the company has been growing organically without outside investments and will continue to prioritize its values of trustworthiness, transparency, and trailblazing. The founders' directive outlines the company's vision and principles, including its commitment to making censorship and mass surveillance impractical. Mullvad's independence is seen as a key factor in its ability to maintain its strong stance on privacy.

Main themes

• VPN ownership and independence
• privacy and security
• company values and mission
• user experiences and satisfaction
• ISP and VPN peering arrangements
• mass surveillance and government tapping

What commenters say

• Some users are concerned about the potential risks of VPN providers being acquired by companies with questionable privacy track records, such as Kape Technologies.
• The acquisition of ExpressVPN by Kape Technologies has led some users to switch to alternative VPN providers like Mullvad.
• Mullvad's commitment to privacy and independence is seen as a major factor in its appeal to users who value these principles.
• The use of VPNs is not a guarantee against government mass surveillance, and users should assume that their provider may be tapped regardless of its ownership or jurisdiction.
• Some users have reported varying levels of satisfaction with Mullvad's speeds, with some experiencing slow connections and others able to max out their gigabit connections.
• The peering arrangements between ISPs and VPN providers can affect connection speeds, and some users have found that specifying a particular server can improve performance.
• Mullvad's lack of discounts for yearly subscriptions is seen as a minor drawback by some users, but the service is generally considered affordable and reliable.