Mozilla VPN


Mozilla VPN, formerly Firefox Private Network, is an open-source virtual private network web browser extension, desktop application, and mobile application developed by Mozilla. It launched in beta as Firefox Private Network on September 10, 2019, and officially launched on July 15, 2020 as Mozilla VPN.

Functionality

Mozilla VPN is a virtual private network, which masks the user's IP address, hides location data from the websites accessed by the user, and encrypts all network activity. A limited-monthly-use free version is available as a web browser extension for the Firefox browser, and a paid version for all device activity is available on the mobile operating systems iOS and Android and the desktop operating system Microsoft Windows, with plans for macOS and Linux versions. The paid version of Private Network uses the Swedish Mullvad VPN service, which uses the WireGuard VPN standard, while the free version uses the American Cloudflare service.

History

The free, limited-use Firefox Private Network web browser extension beta version was released on September 10, 2019 as part of the relaunch of Mozilla's Test Pilot Program, a program that allowed Firefox users to test experimental new features which had been shuttered in January 2019. The beta of the subscription-based standalone virtual private network for Android, Microsoft Windows, and Chromebook launched on February 19, 2020, with the iOS version following soon after.
Firefox Private Network was rebranded as "Mozilla VPN" on June 18, 2020, and officially launched as Mozilla VPN on July 15, 2020. At launch, Mozilla VPN was available in six countries for Windows 10, Android, and iOS.