Mozilla is updating Firefox with the addition of a free VPN service built into the web browser, confirming reports we first heard about last year.
Firefox VPN has been available as a stand-alone paid product, but this feature addition, which arrives with Firefox version 149, makes a free virtual private network available in-browser for those in the US, UK, France and Germany. Mozilla expects to expand the service to other countries, according to the post. The VPN will offer over 50 gigabytes of data per month for free. It’ll become available on March 24.
Free VPNs can be dangerous — if they’re not from a trusted provider, they can put your data at risk or include vulnerabilities you wouldn’t find in some of the more popular paid VPN services.
In its post about the Firefox 149 updates, Mozilla said, “Free VPNs can sometimes mean sketchy arrangements that end up compromising your privacy, but ours is built from our data principles and commitment to be the world’s most trusted browser.”
It’s unclear whether Mozilla will pursue any audit or certification for the free service, though ‘s findings suggest VPN audits don’t always indicate that a service is completely secure.
A representative for Mozilla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In ‘s tests, among VPN services that offer a free tier, the best free plan on the market is Proton VPN’s free service. (It’s the only one currently recommends.) But the free Proton VPN service is missing some features that can be found on a premium plan, such as the ability to choose a server manually or connect multiple devices at the same time.
