[gmb2k1]

What I don't get about the VPN thing is, that they're just a reseller of mullvad VPN. So, even if I trust Mozilla, that isn't of any help, if I don't trust mullvad.

And if I do trust mullvad, why wouldn't I buy access from them directly? The only reason to get the Mozilla VPN is, to help them to a little commission for ideological reasons.

[dorchadas]

I don't think the VPN is targeted to people like you or me, who know about them already and know how to research and trust them. It's targeted towards a more "everyday" user, which might not think to go to Mullvad to buy it, or necessarily worry about the privacy implications (personally, I've heard good things about Mullvad and switched over after PIA sold), and just like the ease of integration through buying it with Firefox.

[gmb2k1]

FWIW, I heard good things about mullvad, too. Can't claim, that they didn't pick a reputable provider.

[heavyset_go]

Mozilla famously signs contracts with firms that secure extra privacy protections for their customers. It's what they did with CloudFlare and Comcast.

If I were to use CloudFlare's VPN service of Comcast's DNS, I'd use it through Mozilla because their contracts stipulate extra protections.

[floatingatoll]

And with Google, too: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20807600

"Mozilla has a legal contract with Google that prevents them from using our Google Analytics data for mining or from sharing it with third parties, among other privacy-protecting provisions."

[discordance]

Interesting... so Mozilla is kind of acting like a certification and licensing service for other privacy services

[heavyset_go]

That's one way to look at it. The way I see it is that these partnerships prove that companies don't need to collect and share private data to make a buck.

[20after4]

Mozilla, Google, Microsoft and Apple collectively decide which SSL certificate authorities are trusted. The world would be a much worse place if Mozilla were not part of that process. Which organization would you rather trust to vet the security of every TLS connection your browser makes.

[s_dev]

>why wouldn't I buy access from them directly?

Because far more people are familiar with Mozilla than Mullvad. Knowing they're the same service is just insight that can save a few euro.

[gmb2k1]

It's not like they're hiding the fact that they utilize mullvad. The price doesn't differ that much also. Currently, it's even cheaper through Mozilla: 4,99$ < 5,00€.

You're right that they have indeed more brand recognition. Basically, the value proposition is: Out of all the VPN providers, we already did the research for you, to pick one that's trustworthy.

[manquer]

Yes, if the product picks up they can build it in-house anytime they want .

They have only spent effort on a reseller partnership till now, so if it fails to pickup not much Engg effort has been wasted either