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is it worth it to swicth to mullvad browser for better privacy? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 day ago by kennedy@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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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?

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[-] machiavellian@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 hours ago

It appears that I was mistaken. After looking through Mullvad's documentation, it truly appears that it has really good fingerprinting protection.

The downsides I see with Mullvad Browser:

  1. it makes a lot of automatic connections on startup (which Pale Moon does not (with some caveats));
  2. the choice of uBlock Origin and NoScript over the superior uMatrix is also a bit of a disappointment;
  3. it forces pointless DoH when the same privacy effect could be achieved for cheaper (resource wise) with just configuring your local resolver.

Sure, you could argue that these automatic connections are necessary and they are to trusted sites but you are still dealing with telemetry which should be disabled by default.

Nevertheless thank you for enlightening me. I will definetly now try out Mullvad Browser to replace Arkened Firefox.

[-] blurb@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 hours ago

uMatrix is no longer maintained and is largely redundant. Mullvad Browser doesn't force DoH either, it's just enabled by default and you can turn it off pretty easily. In fact Mullvad's addon warns you if you're using DoH with Mullvad VPN, at least as far as I can remember (I don't use a VPN currently.).

The automatic connections are not arbitrary either. Your browser, addons, or uBlock filter lists not updating in a timely manner is much worse than the miniscule amount of data you're sending to the outside world.

this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2025
29 points (100.0% liked)

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