cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/52731585
I was reading around about private browsers and I came across mullvad’s browser (only know them for the VPN), do you have experience using it? does it do anything different? I currently use librewolf and from what I can see the mullvad browser also is build from firefox. I generally prefer firefox-like browsers to chromium since i like way its set up and what it allows me to do. Its supposedly build by the same guys who made the tor browser (tbh i feel like thats just marketing). From their website it says its tor without tor but instead with a VPN. So technically I can accomplish the same thing with librewolf and a VPN?? Does the mullvad browser do anything new/different? One thing they do mention is browser fingerprinting does it do anything special to combat that? if i switch to mullvad instead but still have the same extensions is it more private?
I normally use Mullvad and a hardend Librewolf.
Mullvad seems funtionally the same as the tor browser. I believe the idea with the tor brower was that they would be difficult to distinguish for one person from the next. And same goes for Mullvad. The only differince being that Mullvad does’t naturally go through the tor netwok, doesn’t onionize sites, and uses mullvad’s own search engin and DNS server by default. (Mullard’s brower exists so that you have a tor browser without the tor network; And that’s different topic of conversation)
Librewolf is closer the firefox experince, and I would happily recommend it to everyone. I personally enabled the sync funtion, switch the default search to ecosia, and hardend up some other settings. I haven’t felt the need to add any plugins yet( that wern’t installed by default).
In my tests, both have shown to be exellent privacy browsers. But as such, they both also stick out like a sore thumbs.
Overall, if you want the most privet browser, Mullvad seems hide more of my identity and fignerprint. But you will will look very suspicious.
I still recommend Librewolf over Mullvad, does everything I want and need it to do
In my opinion it does offer the best in class for anti-fingerprint features out of the box. Personally I don’t use it because I need browser addons. Adding addons to mullvad kinda defeats the purpose, as they will make your browser extremely unique. Librewolf + addons is more fingerprintable, but still less so than Mullvad + addons imo. I feel like it is useful to have both; Librewolf + addons for your daily driver, and vanilla Mullvad for extra anonymous browsing, web searches, etc.
As a side note too, I have also heard that using Mullvad browser + Mullvad VPN is a bad idea, because it gives Mullvad as a company more information points that might potentially deanonymize you. Part of the reason why Mullvad is so great is that when an entity subpoenas your info, Mullvad can say “we don’t know anything sorry.” So the more information points you give, the more that defense weakens, even though Mullvad itself is trustworthy
Mullvad Browser doesn’t collect your data, so the second paragraph is wrong. I completely agree with you on the first paragraph though. Also make sure not to change the window size in Mullvad Browser as that can also be used to track you. If you are using a tiling WM set a rule for it to make it floating at all times if possible. Also don’t forget to disable Encrypted DNS if you’re using a VPN.
I disagree; while Mullvad is very good with their no logs policies and collecting minimal info, it is generally good opsec not to centralize too many assets or data points into one company. Example: using android with chrome and google vpn, all your data is, from start to finish, in the hands of Google. Mullvad is miles better than Google of course, but I believe the same strategy applies
No, you’re wrong in the sense that they literally collect 0 data on your Mullvad BROWSER usage. It can’t be another data point because Mullvad likely doesn’t even know if you’re using Mullvad Browser, let alone what you’re doing with it.
Your point is only valid in the case of internet services, which a browser isn’t. A browser is a piece of software that can be replaced in a minute if let’s say Mullvad’s whole development team and CEO went full batshit crazy and placed backdoors in the public (and FOSS, so it can be forked) codebase, unlike e-mail etc. And your Google example is invalid because you can’t compare something like Google Chrome to Mullvad Browser.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about Mullvad. I currently use Librewolf and love it, but if I had to switch, Mullvad might be my #2 choice.
Librewolf
The last time I did a comparison, it was much better about fingerprinting. The EFF has this test for example:
https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/
Personally I don’t use it as my daily default browser, and I feel that I’d have to change the default privacy-focussed settings in order to do so. Rather I keep it installed/updated for if I need it someday
As far as I know, no it isn’t.
My recommendation is that if you want better browser privacy than Librewolf, look into Pale Moon or GNU IceCat which are independently maintained older forks of Firefox (and thus untouched by the plague that is Mozilla). Use uMatrix and JShelter. You can also read these articles on browser privacy. Although many of these articles haven’t been updated in a while, most are still relevant.It literally is? LibreWolf and other such “privacy browsers” only work to fool naive scripts, while Mullvad Browser works to completely mix you in with the crowd.
CreepJS has removed its Visits feature (Visits would show how many browsers with the exact same fingerprint had accessed the site) for some unknown reason so I can’t really post a screenshot, but at least while I was using it around a year ago when it did have that my Mullvad Browser tests would always come up with the Visits value in the thousands, and LibreWolf only with 1.
Mullvad Browser by itself isn’t foolproof though as you also need a VPN (preferably one that is usually coupled with Mullvad Browser) to actually mix in. Your IP could still theoretically be revealed this way by a state-level actor though, and if you’re engaging in illegal activity (doesn’t need to be drugs or anything, political activism is also illegal in many places) just use TailsOS with a WebTunnel bridge at that point, and preferably set Tor Browser’s security level to “Safest” (you have to do this everytime you restart if you’re using TailsOS).
Some tips for Tor enjoyers: Pin NoScript to the browser toolbar so you can bypass the security level restrictions when you need to (not recommended for most cases, use at your own discretion). And if you’re having issues with the assigned IP address, you can request new Tor circuits via the sandwich menu on the top right.
