From ebfb448ed290e13ddfe833296af898aea47ea348 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jonah Aragon Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2023 10:48:01 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Add Mullvad Browser (#2109) --- docs/desktop-browsers.md | 75 +++++++++++++++++-- docs/tools.md | 1 + theme/assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg | 20 +++++ 3 files changed, 89 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) create mode 100644 theme/assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg diff --git a/docs/desktop-browsers.md b/docs/desktop-browsers.md index b3ee51be..60ae0494 100644 --- a/docs/desktop-browsers.md +++ b/docs/desktop-browsers.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- title: "Desktop Browsers" icon: material/laptop -description: Firefox and Brave are our recommendations for standard/non-anonymous browsing. +description: These web browsers provide stronger privacy protections than Google Chrome. schema: - "@context": http://schema.org @@ -9,12 +9,27 @@ schema: name: Private Desktop Browser Recommendations url: "./" relatedLink: "../mobile-browsers/" + - + "@context": http://schema.org + "@type": SoftwareApplication + name: Mullvad Browser + image: /assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg + url: https://mullvad.net/en/browser + applicationCategory: Web Browser + operatingSystem: + - Windows + - macOS + - Linux + subjectOf: + "@type": WebPage + url: "./" - "@context": http://schema.org "@type": SoftwareApplication name: Firefox image: /assets/img/browsers/firefox.svg url: https://firefox.com + sameAs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox applicationCategory: Web Browser operatingSystem: - Windows @@ -29,6 +44,7 @@ schema: name: Brave image: /assets/img/browsers/brave.svg url: https://brave.com + sameAs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_(web_browser) applicationCategory: Web Browser operatingSystem: - Windows @@ -38,7 +54,50 @@ schema: "@type": WebPage url: "./" --- -These are our currently recommended desktop web browsers and configurations for standard/non-anonymous browsing. If you need to browse the internet anonymously, you should use [Tor](tor.md) instead. In general, we recommend keeping your browser extensions to a minimum; they have privileged access within your browser, require you to trust the developer, can make you [stand out](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_fingerprint#Browser_fingerprint), and [weaken](https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/0ei-UCHNm34/m/lDaXwQhzBAAJ) site isolation. +These are our currently recommended desktop web browsers and configurations for standard/non-anonymous browsing. We recommend [Mullvad Browser](#mullvad-browser) if you are focused on strong privacy protections and anti-fingerprinting out of the box, [Firefox](#firefox) for casual internet browsers looking for a good alternative to Google Chrome, and [Brave](#brave) if you need Chromium browser compatibility. + +If you need to browse the internet anonymously, you should use [Tor](tor.md) instead. We make some configuration recommendations on this page, but all browsers other than Tor Browser will be traceable by *somebody* in some manner or another. + +## Mullvad Browser + +!!! recommendation + + ![Mullvad Browser logo](assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg){ align=right } + + **Mullvad Browser** is a version of [Tor Browser](tor.md#tor-browser) with Tor network integrations removed, aimed at providing Tor Browser's anti-fingerprinting browser technologies to VPN users. It is developed by the Tor Project and distributed by [Mullvad](vpn.md#mullvad), and does **not** require the use of Mullvad's VPN. + + [:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://mullvad.net/en/browser){ .md-button .md-button--primary } + [:octicons-eye-16:](https://mullvad.net/en/help/privacy-policy/){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" } + [:octicons-info-16:](https://mullvad.net/en/help/tag/mullvad-browser/){ .card-link title=Documentation} + [:octicons-code-16:](https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/mullvad-browser){ .card-link title="Source Code" } + + ??? downloads + + - [:simple-windows11: Windows](https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser/windows) + - [:simple-apple: macOS](https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser/macos) + - [:simple-linux: Linux](https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser/linux) + +Like [Tor Browser](tor.md), Mullvad Browser is designed to prevent fingerprinting by making your browser fingerprint identical to all other Mullvad Browser users, and it includes default settings and extensions that are automatically configured by the default security levels: *Standard*, *Safer* and *Safest*. Therefore, it is imperative that you do not modify the browser at all outside adjusting the default [security levels](https://tb-manual.torproject.org/security-settings/). Other modifications would make your fingerprint unique, defeating the purpose of using this browser. If you want to configure your browser more heavily and fingerprinting is not a concern for you, we recommend [Firefox](#firefox) instead. + +### Anti-Fingerprinting + +**Without** using a [VPN](vpn.md), Mullvad Browser provides the same protections against [naive fingerprinting scripts](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/3.3-Overrides-%5BTo-RFP-or-Not%5D#-fingerprinting) as other private browsers like Firefox+[Arkenfox](#arkenfox-advanced) or [Brave](#brave). Mullvad Browser provides these protections out of the box, at the expense of some flexibility and convenience that other private browsers can provide. + +==For the strongest anti-fingerprinting protection, we recommend using Mullvad Browser in conjunction **with** a VPN==, whether that is Mullvad or another recommended VPN provider. When using a VPN with Mullvad Browser, you will share a fingerprint and a pool of IP addresses with many other users, giving you a "crowd" to blend in with. This strategy is the only way to thwart advanced tracking scripts, and is the same anti-fingerprinting technique used by Tor Browser. + +Note that while you can use Mullvad Browser with any VPN provider, other people on that VPN must also be using Mullvad Browser for this "crowd" to exist, something which is more likely on Mullvad VPN compared to other providers, particularly this close to the launch of Mullvad Browser. Mullvad Browser does not have built-in VPN connectivity, nor does it check whether you are using a VPN before browsing; your VPN connection has to be configured and managed separately. + +Mullvad Browser comes with the *uBlock Origin* and *NoScript* browser extensions pre-installed. While we typically [don't recommend](#extensions) adding *additional* browser extensions, these extensions that come pre-installed with the browser should **not** be removed or configured outside their default values, because doing so would noticeably make your browser fingerprint distinct from other Mullvad Browser users. It also comes pre-installed with the Mullvad Browser Extension, which *can* be safely removed without impacting your browser fingerprint if you would like, but is also safe to keep even if you don't use Mullvad VPN. + +### Private Browsing Mode + +Mullvad Browser operates in permanent private browsing mode, meaning your history, cookies, and other site data will always be cleared every time the browser is closed. Your bookmarks, browser settings, and extension settings will still be preserved. + +This is required to prevent advanced forms of tracking, but does come at the cost of convenience and some Firefox features, such as Multi-Account Containers. Remember you can always use multiple browsers, for example, you could consider using Firefox+Arkenfox for a few sites that you want to stay logged in on or otherwise don't work properly in Mullvad Browser, and Mullvad Browser for general browsing. + +### Mullvad Leta + +Mullvad Browser comes with DuckDuckGo set as the default [search engine](search-engines.md), but it also comes preinstalled with **Mullvad Leta**, a search engine which requires an active Mullvad VPN subscription to access. Mullvad Leta queries Google's paid search API directly (which is why it is limited to paying subscribers), however because of this limitation it is possible for Mullvad to correlate search queries and Mullvad VPN accounts. For this reason we discourage the use of Mullvad Leta, even though Mullvad collects very little information about their VPN subscribers. ## Firefox @@ -66,8 +125,6 @@ These are our currently recommended desktop web browsers and configurations for ### Recommended Configuration -Tor Browser is the only way to truly browse the internet anonymously. When you use Firefox, we recommend changing the following settings to protect your privacy from certain parties, but all browsers other than [Tor Browser](tor.md#tor-browser) will be traceable by *somebody* in some regard or another. - These options can be found in :material-menu: → **Settings** → **Privacy & Security**. ##### Enhanced Tracking Protection @@ -117,8 +174,14 @@ This prevents you from unintentionally connecting to a website in plain-text HTT ### Arkenfox (advanced) +!!! tip "Use Mullvad Browser for advanced anti-fingerprinting" + + [Mullvad Browser](#mullvad-browser) provides the same anti-fingerprinting protections as Arkenfox out of the box, and does not require the use of Mullvad's VPN to benefit from these protections. Coupled with a VPN, Mullvad Browser can thwart more advanced tracking scripts which Arkenfox cannot. Arkenfox still has the advantage of being much more flexible, and allowing per-site exceptions for websites which you need to stay logged in to. + The [Arkenfox project](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js) provides a set of carefully considered options for Firefox. If you [decide](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/1.1-To-Arkenfox-or-Not) to use Arkenfox, a [few options](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/3.2-Overrides-[Common]) are subjectively strict and/or may cause some websites to not work properly - [which you can easily change](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/3.1-Overrides) to suit your needs. We **strongly recommend** reading through their full [wiki](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki). Arkenfox also enables [container](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/containers#w_for-advanced-users) support. +Arkenfox only aims to thwart basic or naive tracking scripts through canvas randomization and Firefox's built-in fingerprint resistance configuration settings. It does not aim to make your browser blend in with a large crowd of other Arkenfox users in the same way Mullvad Browser or Tor Browser do, which is the only way to thwart advanced fingerprint tracking scripts. Remember you can always use multiple browsers, for example, you could consider using Firefox+Arkenfox for a few sites that you want to stay logged in on or otherwise trust, and Mullvad Browser for general browsing. + ## Brave !!! recommendation @@ -146,8 +209,6 @@ The [Arkenfox project](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js) provides a set of ca ### Recommended Configuration -Tor Browser is the only way to truly browse the internet anonymously. When you use Brave, we recommend changing the following settings to protect your privacy from certain parties, but all browsers other than the [Tor Browser](tor.md#tor-browser) will be traceable by *somebody* in some regard or another. - These options can be found in :material-menu: → **Settings**. ##### Shields @@ -231,7 +292,7 @@ Under the *System* menu ## Additional Resources -We generally do not recommend installing any extensions as they increase your attack surface. However, uBlock Origin may prove useful if you value content blocking functionality. +In general, we recommend keeping your browser extensions to a minimum to decrease your attack surface; they have privileged access within your browser, require you to trust the developer, can make you [stand out](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_fingerprint#Browser_fingerprint), and [weaken](https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/0ei-UCHNm34/m/lDaXwQhzBAAJ) site isolation. However, uBlock Origin may prove useful if you value content blocking functionality. ### uBlock Origin diff --git a/docs/tools.md b/docs/tools.md index ffaf3fd4..4337d124 100644 --- a/docs/tools.md +++ b/docs/tools.md @@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ For more details about each project, why they were chosen, and additional tips o
+- ![Mullvad Browser logo](assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg){ .twemoji } [Mullvad Browser](desktop-browsers.md#mullvad-browser) - ![Firefox logo](assets/img/browsers/firefox.svg){ .twemoji } [Firefox](desktop-browsers.md#firefox) - ![Brave logo](assets/img/browsers/brave.svg){ .twemoji } [Brave](desktop-browsers.md#brave) diff --git a/theme/assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg b/theme/assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg new file mode 100644 index 00000000..d678ab1a --- /dev/null +++ b/theme/assets/img/browsers/mullvad_browser.svg @@ -0,0 +1,20 @@ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +