The best secure browsers for privacy in 2023

May 16, 2023 TH Author

Mullvad Browser features: Fingerprint masking approach | Removes online identifiers | Private mode enabled by default | Blocks trackers, cookies

Mullvad is a new entry to the secure browser market.

Not to be confused with the Tor browser, the Mullvad Browser is marketed as the “Tor Browser without the Tor network.” The browser is built by the Tor Project team and distributed by Mullvad, a well-respected Swedish virtual private network provider.

The idea behind the browser is to emulate the Tor network by creating a similar fingerprint for all users, improving anonymity. Furthermore, the browser comes with a private mode out of the box, tracking and cookies are blocked, and online functions used to extract information from visitors — such as device identifiers — are prevented.

You can use the browser as a standalone product, or you can combine it with Mullvad VPN.

However, you should keep in mind that Mullvad was recently subject to a search warrant by the National Operations Department (NOA) of the Swedish Police.

The visit was connected to a “blackmail attack that hit several municipal institutions in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in October 2021,” and “during the investigation, which is still ongoing, an IP address was found that led to the VPN service Mullvad,” according to the organization.

Mullvad staff say that as the customer data did not exist, law enforcement left with nothing (and no customer information).

“Since Mullvad VPN by law is not required to collect any data related to our users’ activities online — and since the pure purpose of our service is to protect users from collection of such data — it is in our interest, our customers interest, all our employees and owners’ interest to not collect any data and therefore there is no reasonable grounds to doubt that we do not collect any data about our users’ activities online,” Mullvad said.