alt Hacker NewsAs a Firefox user: if I want a VPN I'll use an actual VPN. Focus on making a great browser, and not all this distraction.
Also, "free": "If you're not paying for it, you're the product being sold"
Replies
Mozilla only makes the integration between the browser and the VPN, not the VPN network itself - Mozilla VPN is white label Mullvad.
Also, "free": "If you're not paying for it, you're the product being sold"
Do you live in 2010? Whether you pay for a service or not is irrelevant to selling your data nowadays.
> "If you're not paying for it, you're the product being sold"
This must apply to Firefox itself, right?
I think a VPN is a great add-on for Firefox and way for Mozilla to monetize itself, but I'm surprised it's free. Perhaps it's a free trial like Proton?
Are you the product for Firefox too?
VPNs are no longer optional for the current internet. This is as controversial as Firefox speaking ftp.
> "If you're not paying for it, you're the product being sold"
This is such a un-nuanced take.
In this case Firefox's route-to-market is the product. It's a distribution channel where some people who receive the free version will upgrade.
Free tiers for products where some will pay to upgrade seems like a reasonable compromise, but it does depend on how the deal is structured.
If Mullvad pays Firefox for the free users then Firefox's incentives are aligned with its users.
If Mullvad pays per conversion then it's a different story.