Privacy Without Compromise: Proton VPN is Now Built Into Vivaldi | Vivaldi Browser
vivaldi.com
Vivaldi is now the first major browser to ship with Proton VPN built right in, giving uncompromising privacy from two of Europe’s most trusted tech companies.

Just found my Vivaldi update contained a little more than just bugfixes… it now has Proton VPN built in.

It’s actually part of the browser, not an extension, so I’m in two minds whether I like that… or not.

You need either a Vivaldi account or a Proton account, so it’s not completely anonymous, but it’s a start.

The free-tier of Proton VPN also appears to be bandwidth limited and your exit point is randomised, so… yeah, it’s ok…

  • Stovetop@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2811·
    6 days ago

    Definitely not a good thing. I use Proton VPN, but only because I paid for a license before I realized the CEO is a scumbag. A lot of people are moving away from Proton’s platform, so a browser choosing to bundle it in is just privacy-violating bloatware for everyone except for a subset of users who are also still using Proton, and also for some reason don’t just have the standalone app installed.

    • Honzai@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      228·
      6 days ago

      I’m curious as to why you think the CEO is a scumbag? This article does a good job of clearing up the outrage I had seen towards the CEO.

      • Brusque@lemmy.worldEnglish
        211·
        6 days ago

        The article is a PR puff piece. What Andy said made absolutely zero sense at the time, and even more so now. “…tables have completely turned.” Sir, the table is round and covered in shit. Always has been.

    • SayCyberOnceMore@feddit.ukOPEnglish
      83·
      6 days ago

      Yeah, just read a bit more, where it’s implied that Vivaldi recommend you share your Vivaldi account recovery with Proton, which was the problem recently:

      https://help.vivaldi.com/desktop/privacy/proton-vpn-for-vivaldi/

      Allow Vivaldi to share your account’s recovery email address with Proton (only shown during first use).

      https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/27/vivaldi_proton_vpn/

      Proton VPN is operated by the same company behind the encrypted email service, Proton Mail. The business found itself in hot water in 2024 after complying with a legal request to hand over the recovery email address for a Proton Mail account.

      Hmm… this doesn’t sound good to me.

      • lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        21·
        5 days ago

        The business found itself in hot water in 2024 after complying with a legal request to hand over the recovery email address for a Proton Mail account.

        Yep, that’s how the law works in Switzerland. It’s dumb, but every company based in Switzerland operates this way. Also, if you bothered to look into it, per Swiss law, VPN services are not required to retain any logs.

        That, and if you were truly privacy focused, you wouldn’t have a recovery email on your Proton account in the first place.