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What's the go-to VPN provider today (discuss.tchncs.de)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by ryan_harg@discuss.tchncs.de to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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I used Mullvad for a long time, but hearing about one of the two CEOs actively supporting and financing swedish Nazis, I'm looking to put my money elsewhere. That's the second one after Private Internet Access (who supported Gab).

I had AirVPN and Surfshark being recomnended, how do people here feel? What do you use?

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[-] lime@feddit.nu 80 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

there was an article today about the entire mullvad company being blindsided by this and a lot of people being upset. with any luck the guy will leave or get thrown out.

also i think they're technically nazbols.

[-] fizzle@quokk.au 16 points 2 weeks ago

Isn't he the founder?

[-] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 45 points 2 weeks ago

Cofounder, and 50% owner. For him to get kicked out would take a lot.

[-] lime@feddit.nu 17 points 2 weeks ago

he could be a rational human about it and see that it's bad for the brand. considering he was willing to work with a guy that actively dislikes what he did he may have a few braincells left.

[-] fizzle@quokk.au 9 points 2 weeks ago

That kinda seems unlikely to me. I'm certain that he's aware that supporting ethnic cleansing (albeit not overtly violent) is not compatible with having customers.

[-] lime@feddit.nu 5 points 2 weeks ago

they don't tend to see it like that from my experience. but yeah the chance is slim.

[-] nevyn@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 weeks ago

He has most likely purchased himself control of, or at least a position within a right wing party. There is no coming back from that. For Mullvads sake he needs to move on, and soon.

[-] fizzle@quokk.au 5 points 2 weeks ago

I think "would take a lot" might be understating it.

It's likely he'd have to be bought out by the other guy with an attractive offer.

[-] nevyn@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 weeks ago

Or the other owner (Fredrik Strömberg) splits off and sets up his own vpn... Strömvad, or Mullberg, or MullStröm

[-] lime@feddit.nu 19 points 2 weeks ago

co-. the other founder is pretty pissed.

[-] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 14 points 2 weeks ago

This is the only reason for why I haven't demanded a refund of my remaining balance yet. I'm holding out for a dismissal or something.

[-] anothermember@feddit.uk 21 points 2 weeks ago

Demanding a refund could add to the pressure though, you could always renew after he (hopefully) goes. I can't get a refund since mine has just run out but I'm not making any long-term decisions until the dust has settled.

[-] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 7 points 2 weeks ago

I totally agree! It's just that I have two routers setup with them, running 24/7, and I have configured mom's devices with my account and I don't have the time to reconfigure all this with something else at the moment. 😩

[-] nevyn@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 weeks ago

I requested and received my refund with the aim to prompt this.

Sitting on your hands suggests that you do not care about it. If they do not lose enough customers, why would anything change?

[-] mecen@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago

Is there other option?

[-] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago

There are many options. It's important to do some research on these options. It's also important to know why you want to choose a certain provider. Check their Terms of Service and Privacy Policy at the very least. For now, I'm looking into IVPN.

[-] nevyn@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 weeks ago

There are very few decent options, ivpn seems decent though

[-] nfreak@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 weeks ago

I'm giving it a week or two to see if anything happens while also researching alternatives

[-] merde@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago

also i think they're technically nazbols.

what's a nazbol?

[-] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 19 points 2 weeks ago

National Bolsheviks, in essence merging nazism with communism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism

[-] merde@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 weeks ago

National Bolsheviks, in essence merging nazism with communism.

Nazism+

what an awful idea

[-] FilthyHands@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 weeks ago

Like this?

[-] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 5 points 2 weeks ago

Yes! Alternatively you can just put an Z there too, same meaning.

[-] Throbbing_banjo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 2 weeks ago

A Nazi, basically.

It stands for "national bolshevism," so tankies minus the leftism, which... yeah.

[-] lime@feddit.nu 14 points 2 weeks ago

national bolsheviks. basically ultranationalist tankies.

[-] rainwall@piefed.social 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

This is likely true, but in the hacker news thread about this, the non Nazi cofounder was pretty defensive about what a great guy he was, and that there was just no way that him being a Nazi could ever effect Mullvad itself:

Here's one example, but these linked thread has more excuses hes made:

kfreds 1 day ago | root | parent | next [–]

I'm sorry to hear that. For what it's worth I think there's nuance in his decision that most people don't see. Of course that doesn't mean I think it was the right decision to make.

Here's something worth considering: why would someone whose ideal is open borders, who has been an animal rights activist, and someone who has led Mullvad for 17 years (with the track record it has), choose to donate to this party? If you like what Daniel and I have done together over the past 17 years, and now vehemently oppose his choice to make this donation, doesn't that make you just a little bit curious?

It made me curious. It didn't change my ultimate stance, but it did temper my emotions about it.

https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=kfreds

That level of denial feels custom made for them to give him a pass and keep him onboard.

[-] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 2 weeks ago

when you've known someone personally for that long you're bound to get defensive, i think. and the question is worth considering; why?

[-] nevyn@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 weeks ago

Time will tell, his response was what prompted me to request and receive my refund though. Either bad wording, or a bad attitude towards this.

[-] bad1080@piefed.social 2 points 2 weeks ago

have they released an official statement about it?

[-] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 2 weeks ago

not that i can find.

[-] bad1080@piefed.social 1 points 1 week ago

they released this: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/i-don-t-like-that-he-made-this-donation-mullvad-ceo-reacts-to-co-founder-s-donation-to-controversial-swedish-populist-party/ar-AA26OCxC

[-] anothermember@feddit.uk 2 points 2 weeks ago

Link to the article?

[-] lime@feddit.nu 7 points 2 weeks ago

from the same paper that did the original reporting. swedish and paywalled unfortunately, but the first few paragraphs are readable.

this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2026

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