If you don't want your Mullvad fees going to fund neo-Nazis - or @mozilla VPN fees, which is rebranded Mullvad - cancel and get a refund immediately
that's whose "free speech" the official account is talking about here, and that's where your fees go to
EDIT: Mullvad has a 14 day refund policy. But the message below is a direct call to ask for a refund if you don't want to give money to Nazis.
If Mullvad refuse a refund, call your consumer protection agency. And reverse credit card charges on the basis of deceptive refund policy representations. It's not like you ever want to be a Mullvad customer again.
archive copy of Mullvad statement: https://web.archive.org/web/20260627172939/https://mastodon.online/@mullvadnet/116822244689326681
Mullvad is a political company fighting for free speech, free information and privacy, with two equal co-founders, co-owners and co-CEOs who fundamentally disagree on many issues. Daniel's donation to a political party is private and not part of Mullvad's mission. We protect the right to express and access views we disagree with. We welcome anyone sharing these core values, whatever their other opinions. We are happy to refund others who don't, where we can.
@davidgerard unfortunately their refund policy they're bringing up is "paid in the last 14 days"
so a lot of people can't get shit
@gourd guess we'll just have to take it out of their hide then
call for a refund anyway. "your official mastodon said to demand a refund if we don't want to give money to Nazis". hit consumer protection. reverse credit card charges on the basis of deceptive conduct.
@davidgerard @gourd Well, I guess that means they'll start kicking out pirates and hacktivists too. For a while, Mullvad was the go-to if you didn't want to run a VPS or do extensive research to find a non-ransomware owned VPN provider. Not everyone has the funds, knowledge, or time to utilize the best techniques in amateur opsec for just consuming and distributing media, so a VPN is the next choice. Fascism isn't a choice for anyone with a conscience.
Yarrg, abandon ship! 🏴☠️
@davidgerard UPDATE: They asked me for an invoice ID. They may actually grant me the refund? That would be very good
@davidgerard UPDATE: They granted me the refund. It wasn't the full payment, but most of it.
THIS MEANS YOU CAN GET A REFUND EVEN PAST THE 14 DAYS POLICY! Please email mullvad support asking them for one and tell them WHY!
@davidgerard Have since recieved a refund after pushing them for it.
@gourd @davidgerard
I contacted support and stated my disgust at the situation and got the following reply
@estelle4565 🔗 https://masto.nu/users/estelle4565/statuses/116823398485121427
.
@davidgerard @mozilla
Been spreading this around, but the immediate question afterwards is "what do we use now instead?", do we have good replacements? Most VPNs are bad news, only a few are reliable and safe, but adding the consideration of "not run with fascist collaborators" empties the list of the ones i know, Proton and now Mullwad are out
"If Mullvad refuse a refund, call your consumer protection agency. And reverse credit card charges on the basis of deceptive refund policy representations. It's not like you ever want to be a Mullvad customer again."
You're paying for Mullvad with.. a credit card? Are you perhaps a retarded person?
🔗 CW: PSA and call to action, Mullvad and Mozilla VPN, political support
@davidgerard While maybe the owners, founders whoever of Mullvad may have their agreements to agree to disagree I for one disagree strictly at supporting Nazis who, with all due respect, never agree to disagree.
@davidgerard @mozilla whats a good alternative?
@davidgerard what are you guys using instead?
@pupchester ssh -D
(really)
@davidgerard @mozilla damn, been using mullvad b/c easy built-in integration with tailscale. i'll guess i'll need to pressure tailscale to dump mullvad.
Is this a good time to rave about my cool Proton VPN?
@davidgerard @mozilla that is rough to hear. Welp, time to find a new VPN.
@davidgerard @mozilla I would really love it if I could go ONE YEAR without having to change providers because they can't provide a safe/secure product or are paying lip service to their stated goals. Good thing I started putting calendar reminders for when these services expire so I can pivot.
@davidgerard @mozilla @Viss This is why we can’t have nice things. 😔 Mullvad was the only VPN I knew of with a truly private service. So many other VPNs are absolute garbage that keep data on you and use misleading marketing.
So what’s the alternative now?
@thomasareed @davidgerard @mozilla i have a hardware firewall in a colo on 10 gig copper, and its my endpoint. ive given a few friends access to it so they can be afforded the same "be on a vpn when you leave the house" setup I have. the alternative is you either build your own vpn infra, or you use a friends.
@thomasareed IVPN seems fair. No email needed just like Mullvad, same options for payments, open-source apps, very clear promises and also debunking of misinformation other VPN companies often say to convince people who don't need a VPN to pay them.
To be clear though, I haven't used them before, they've just been recommended by others for a while and a cursory look at their site gives me a fairly good impression of their honesty and values.
@thomasareed @davidgerard @mozilla @Viss I was thinking about nym as an alternative, but it seems something new
> Mullvad has a 14 day refund policy
Mullvad claim to delete your payment information quickly, hence the short refund period. They say this is so they don't know who their customers are. So this will be a good test of their data retention policy.
@davidgerard
You can bet your ass it's going to be used to deanonymize people's traffic for the benefit of Nazis. Bank on it
@davidgerard It's also probably worth pressuring Mozilla over this.
My faith in Mozilla is approximately... none... but it could work.
@davidgerard @mozilla
Mullvad is a political company fighting for free speech, free information and privacy,
No part of that statement rejects support for nazis. It is just stinky word bending Hogwash.
The only part of that statement I believe is
Mullvad is a Political company.
Away from the crap.
and fighting for a free speech and information platform for nazis.
@Kerplunk yeah Nazis are famously supportive of freedom of expression, it's just logical to defend them if you value freedom of expression! @davidgerard @mozilla
@ehproque @davidgerard @mozilla
@Kerplunk yeah Nazis are famously supportive of freedom of expression, it's just logical to defend them if you value freedom of expression! @davidgerard @mozilla
Have you ever tried to speak freely in an AFD Dominated room, the only thing the Fascists want is room for their lies deciept gaslighting and Hate Speech.
Anyone who contradicts will be violently rebuked (often Physically) Threatened including friends and family.
Mozilla is supporting that! by choice
@Kerplunk @davidgerard @mozilla they even made special housing, organised with different colours, for the people whose free speech they valued the most!. Free transport too!
@davidgerard @mozilla God, the sanctimonious bullshit about fighting for freedom of speech and free expression and welcoming anyone who shares those values is like the worst "oops, we got caught supporting Nazis" greatest hits tape ever.
@davidgerard @mozilla Currently looking into alternatives before I pull the trigger. Thankfully, if they don't refund it, the worst they're getting from me is another €5
Edit for clarification: Card used to pay is an American one, so I don't expect to get anywhere with a chargeback or with a CFPB complaint.
“free speech, information and privacy”
Just not free movement. Apparently that’s a bridge too far for these “freedom” fighters.
@davidgerard @mozilla Screenshoted for when they inevitably take it down...
@davidgerard @mozilla Well given they're spamming that drivel to anyone who criticises them, or asks for a refund, I guess they think they have a rock solid response here that convinces everyone of how wonderfully enlightened they are.