The new Mullvad browser is a joint development of the TOR project and Mullvad VPN. Although focused on privacy, its operation is very different from the TOR project browser itself, as it is designed to do so work with the virtual private network service instead of using the TOR network.

If you follow us regularly, you are surely familiar with the TOR project, a non-profit organization responsible for an Open Source communication network system that aims to achieve anonymity at the network level. In addition to being a reference (but not the only option) for accessing the Deep Web, it is widely used by journalists, activists and users from regions under the yoke of dictatorships that block and restrict the basic right to freedom of expression on the Internet. .

Mullvad browser, a strange twist for TOR?

This web browser is a script change for TOR and you might be surprised to recommend it without using its great fortification, its own communication network. It was created by The foundation of Firefox and the DuckDuckGo search engine from the Tor Project engineers themselves and like the browser (TOR Browser) is designed with privacy as a feature.

“Developing this browser in collaboration with Mullvad aims to provide users with more privacy options for everyday browsing and challenge the current business model of mining people’s data. A sign that free technology can be developed with mass appeal and privacy in mind»Isabela Fernandes, executive director of the Tor project, explains in the ad.

Mullvad says your browser will have the level of privacy offered by the Tor network if a VPN is used. We don’t think so considering that the operation of the TOR network is substantially different from how a VPN works. But hey, it might be enough for some users, and it will definitely be much faster to execute than TOR, which is slower for obvious reasons.

The Tor Project recommends using a VPN with this browser, but it doesn’t have to be from Mullvad and any other can be used. Even if you’re not using a VPN, you’ll have access to privacy protection through built-in extensions and preconfigured web browser settings.

Mullvad’s browser is free, open source and cross-platform, with versions for Windows, macOS and Linux. If you’re already using Firefox but want to try the features that Mullvad promises, you can simply download an extension that reconfigures options and installs some privacy-focused tools. The browser does not include any VPN and you will have to use it separately, be it Mullvad or others.