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We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

mullvad.net

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Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#441

Post by gasull »

petefromnorth wrote: post #335
anonporridge wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can also easily pay with better anonymity with the Strike app, https://strike.me , which abstracts bitcoin mainnet and lightning network payments behind USD, so you don't have to worry about actually holding bitcoin or managing tax implications. You just use bitcoin as a globally agnostic payment rail, masked with your local fiat, so the price volatility doesn't affect you. Mullvad even gives you a 10% discount f…

I just paid using Bitcoin Cash (BCH), low fees and simple to integrate ;)

The UX of BCH beats BTC and ETH by very far.

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#442

Post by wpietri »

nobody9999 wrote: post #424
wpietri wrote: post #396

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It of course does not apply, because you're getting risk-mitigation value every month. (If you don't think so, feel free to drop the insurance.) That said, those are prime opportunities for parasitism and exploitation, because it's hard to measure risk reduction until actual harm comes along. That's why those sectors need heavy regulation.

And so how does that not apply to Netflix or The New York Times? You said[0]: "But that entirely vanishes with most internet-based subscriptions. If I stop watching Netflix, they stop experiencing marginal costs for me. If I get excited about a NYT subscription but then stop reading, it's the same deal. Nobody went out and bought another server just because I signed up. I could cancel at any time and they'd have to l…

Your theory is that Netflix isn't selling entertainment, they're selling boredom insurance? That somebody might have a sudden, unexpected, and catastrophic need for sitcom reruns that might cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, so to mitigate that risk they pay Netflix just in case?

If you really can't tell those classes of product apart, I don't think I can help you.

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#443

Post by Night_Thastus »

newscracker wrote: post #436
Night_Thastus wrote: post #423

Sweden is part of 14-eyes. I realize this may be naive or already answered, but I don't see why I should trust any service in one of those 14 countries. When things are down to the wire, can anything in Sweden really guarantee any greater level of privacy?

I'd like to know which email provider(s) you use outside the 14-eyes, assuming you're not self-hosting. There are some privacy focused and relatively cheaper ones that avoid the five-eyes, but end up being in the nine-eyes or 14-eyes countries. Note: I'm not considering ProtonMail (Switzerland) as relatively cheap. I came to know about CTemplar (Iceland), but that shutdown a month ago.

$4.22 (USD) a month is really not that bad for Protonmail, fwiw. (12 month, cheaper for 24-month) That's nothing compared to a Netflix or HBO max subscription.

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#444

Post by nobody9999 »

wpietri wrote: post #442
nobody9999 wrote: post #424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And so how does that not apply to Netflix or The New York Times? You said[0]: "But that entirely vanishes with most internet-based subscriptions. If I stop watching Netflix, they stop experiencing marginal costs for me. If I get excited about a NYT subscription but then stop reading, it's the same deal. Nobody went out and bought another server just because I signed up. I could cancel at any time and they'd have to l…

Your theory is that Netflix isn't selling entertainment, they're selling boredom insurance? That somebody might have a sudden, unexpected, and catastrophic need for sitcom reruns that might cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, so to mitigate that risk they pay Netflix just in case? If you really can't tell those classes of product apart, I don't think I can help you.

>Your theory is that Netflix isn't selling entertainment, they're selling boredom insurance? That somebody might have a sudden, unexpected, and catastrophic need for sitcom reruns that might cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, so to mitigate that risk they pay Netflix just in case?

Don't put words in my mouth. I never said anything even approaching that.

Netflix sells a service (a pretty useless one, in my view) -- video content -- for which they charge a monthly fee.

Insurance companies sell a service (more useful, in my view) -- covering (or at least reducing) the costs of bad stuff happening -- for which they charge a monthly fee.

One is (at least in my view) more useful than the other, but the business model is the same -- pay a monthly fee for some product/service.

As I said, it's not the model that's the problem, it's those who use it in an exploitative fashion.

Please do go ahead and set up another straw man you can knock down for your own satisfaction, but I won't participate further.

Have a great day!

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#445

Post by chii »

bigiain wrote: post #314
contravariant wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe but doesn't all of that apply equally to just about any payment method other than sending them cash anonymously?

For a single payment, they can throw away all the metadata once the funds hit their bank account. They _can't_ do that with recurring subscriptions, since they need something that links to your CC or PayPal details to re-bill it next month/year. They've chosen to not do that any more, possibly as performative privacy, also possibly as having real privacy concerns for their clients, and also also possibly so they can…

but then as a bad actor, you could reverse the credit card charge, and then the company would not be able to tell which customer reversed the charge!

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#446

Post by mekster »

tricot wrote: post #387
kome wrote: post #369

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AirVPN seems to be quite good, and ethical.

I've been using AirVPN for many years now and is has always been reliable and fast for me. Recently they introduced Wireguard support.

Reliable and fast has nothing to do with integrity and anyone can build such a service.

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#447

Post by dcow »

mongrelion wrote: post #405
dcow wrote: post #116

Why are VPNs what people flock to when they think they want privacy? Moreover they kinda break the internet so it's not a scalable solution. It's cool to see a good one selling a privacy message and doing it at level 11, but it seems kinda disingenuous to me to tell users that they're more private because they use a VPN. Private from your current ISP, sure, but not from Mullvad (they're your new ISP, you're just movi…

I think that you're right in that by using Mullvad you're transferring the trust from your current ISP to them. It's also important to mention that you can pay Mullvad with cash, sent in an envelope, so that your (real) identity is never known to them.

My ISP accepts cash payments in an envelope with an account number written on it. They probably require an address during signup so they can service the physical lines but just pointing out that paying is cash is not exclusive to Mullvad.

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#448

Post by ComradePhil »

john2x wrote: post #301
dijonman2 wrote: post #256

I think Firefox resells a custom Mullvad product, which I would probably use. I just don’t have a need for security at this layer.

Ditto. It's cheaper too. And added bonus by supporting Mozilla (or just their CEO :P)

> And added bonus by supporting Mozilla (or just their CEO :P)

Why would you ever want to do that?

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#449

Post by RealStickman_ »

Cyph0n wrote: post #104
HEHENE wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mullvad has been tremendous and the ease of use is terrific. I use a VPN relatively infrequently, sometimes going months without turning it on, so the one-time payments have been wonderful. The app is simple to use, and it's so, so easy to reactivate for a month when I need it. I can't speak to their privacy as my VPN usecase is usually just "I need an IP in another region," but to the best of my understanding they a…

As an additional data point, I've been using Mullvad as a long-running VPN for a while now (hint: Linux ISOs) and it has been working like a charm.

You can also utilise port forwarding with mullvad (bound to specific key and location) to make distributing "Linux ISOs" faster.

Re: We are removing the option to create new subscriptions

#450

Post by RealStickman_ »

gesman wrote: post #434
4khilles wrote: post #433

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good news, you need less than $250. Just buy a Protectli appliance, install OPNSense on it with the wireguard plugin. Setup Mullvad config and route all traffic through the tunnel. That's it! I've been running a similar setup for a couple years now. It's been great.

Or spend less than $80 on GL.iNet GL-MT1300 travel router or $90 on GL.iNet GL-AX1800 Wifi-6 router with MullVad support preconfigured. Nothing to install, tweak or have hassles with.

Or around 50$ for a cheap mikrotik box, though it will struggle with full gigabit routing.
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