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Latest Mozilla VPN features

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Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#11

Post by RL_Quine »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #7
RL_Quine wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Being its own software" is sort of meaningless. It's Mozilla white labeling an anonymous VPN service (ie, we don't know who runs it).

>>"we don't know who runs it" I thought it's owner regularly comments / joins in on hacker news... I didn't feel like I don't know who's running it? Edit : quick search turns two very relevant posts: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24169684 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23567530

The website of Mullvad itself has essentially no identifying information, and that's fine and perfectly reasonable, it's just got to be part of your threat model of using the thing. Mozilla whitelabeling the service and giving it a well known reputation is another thing entirely.

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#12

Post by opheliate »

It's really disappointing to me that Mozilla VPN didn't support Linux from the get-go, and even now, from their FAQ [1], apparently only supports Ubuntu. The code for the client is open source, and can be built on other distributions, but the more pressing question to me is why their own client is necessary at all. Mullvad (which this VPN is based on) allows you to just download WireGuard/OpenVPN config files, which you can use with your own, more widely used/trusted client. The only reason I can see for Mozilla to require the use of their own client is to enforce their device limit, which really leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I don't think their desire to impose the device-limit should outweigh the security implications of disallowing me from using the standard WireGuard client.

I want to give Mozilla my money for this, but it's really annoying how unfriendly its implementation is.

1: https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/products/vpn/#faq-compatibilit...

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#14

Post by natch »

tored wrote: post #8

If you as a company, like Mozilla, pushes for deplatforming and similar anti-freespeech measures, demand for VPN services will definitely increase. So congrats on your new VPN service, Mozilla, and hats off to the 4D chess players at the marketing division.

What deplatforming and anti free speech measures is this talking about?

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#15

Post by NikolaNovak »

RL_Quine wrote: post #11
NikolaNovak wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>"we don't know who runs it" I thought it's owner regularly comments / joins in on hacker news... I didn't feel like I don't know who's running it? Edit : quick search turns two very relevant posts: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24169684 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23567530

The website of Mullvad itself has essentially no identifying information, and that's fine and perfectly reasonable, it's just got to be part of your threat model of using the thing. Mozilla whitelabeling the service and giving it a well known reputation is another thing entirely.

Hmm... I may not fully understand what you're looking for. From their website:

"Who owns Mullvad? The Mullvad VPN service is operated by Mullvad VPN AB which is a subsidiary of Amagicom AB. Both companies are 100% owned by founders Fredrik Strömberg and Daniel Berntsson."

Location, Company name, individual names of founders/owners. What other "identifying information" would satisfy?

I found their FAQ, blog and guides tremendously helpful, transparent and upfront. There's a wealth of info with just a couple of clicks.

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#16

Post by duxup »

tored wrote: post #8

If you as a company, like Mozilla, pushes for deplatforming and similar anti-freespeech measures, demand for VPN services will definitely increase. So congrats on your new VPN service, Mozilla, and hats off to the 4D chess players at the marketing division.

I'm not sure how to ask this, but do you really believe this "4D chess" theory?

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#17

Post by cyberlab »

I don't like that it's tied to your Mozilla account, which I never used anyway because I like to keep strictly local copies of my credentials using Keepass. Storing secrets in the cloud comes with a risk. Someone (hello NSA) will use your encrypted cloud-based vault as target practice and try to crack it. With a local copy, only I can access it.

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#18

Post by zo1 »

natch wrote: post #14
tored wrote: post #8

If you as a company, like Mozilla, pushes for deplatforming and similar anti-freespeech measures, demand for VPN services will definitely increase. So congrats on your new VPN service, Mozilla, and hats off to the 4D chess players at the marketing division.

What deplatforming and anti free speech measures is this talking about?

I was curious about the above question, so I did a basic google search out of curiosity. Not sure if this is disturbing, ironic or funny, but here is a blog post from Mozilla: "We need more than deplatforming by Mitchell Baker"

https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2021/01/08/we-need-more-than-d...

Edit. Added title of the link.

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#19

Post by kfreds »

opheliate wrote: post #12

It's really disappointing to me that Mozilla VPN didn't support Linux from the get-go, and even now, from their FAQ [1], apparently only supports Ubuntu. The code for the client is open source, and can be built on other distributions, but the more pressing question to me is why their own client is necessary at all. Mullvad (which this VPN is based on) allows you to just download WireGuard/OpenVPN config files, which…

Hi! I'm one of Mullvad's founders.

I can't speak for Mozilla, but we have our own desktop and mobile apps because it enables us to do more privacy-preserving things with a higher assurance. Consider for instance DNS leaks, Teredo leaks, IPv6 leaks, esoteric DHCP directives that can hack your routing tables, and so on.

And these are just a few of the things we were early in mitigating correctly. Consider also the tight relationship between UX and security, and it is clear that we can't rely on "generic VPN clients" to always agree with our design and security preferences. That doesn't mean they are wrong and we are right of course. It's just that we have a very specific mission.

One architecture decision we made for our app was to write its backend in Rust, and integrate tightly with the firewalls on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It facilitates stability and therefore reduces the risk of states where data leak outside of the tunnel. Check it out, it's open source. As all security-related things should be.

https://github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app

Re: Latest Mozilla VPN features

#20

Post by teddyh »

natch wrote: post #14
tored wrote: post #8

If you as a company, like Mozilla, pushes for deplatforming and similar anti-freespeech measures, demand for VPN services will definitely increase. So congrats on your new VPN service, Mozilla, and hats off to the 4D chess players at the marketing division.

What deplatforming and anti free speech measures is this talking about?

The way I always hear it, the title of a Mozilla blog post was “We need more than deplatforming”¹, which was/is interpreted by some to be an endorsement of deplatforming.

1) https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2021/01/08/we-need-more-than-d...

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