Alright, hear me out—I’ve been digging into Mullvad VPN lately, and something feels off. Some red flags that make me wonder if this whole thing is EncroChat 2.0, just more low key.
First off, it’s dirt cheap. Like, $5-6 a month? Compare that to other big-name VPNs charging at least $15, or more. Are they banking on volume (don't think so), or is something else funding this operation?
And what about that 2023 police raid? The very public one where Swedish police showed up with a warrant and left empty-handed because Mullvad proved they don’t keep any user logs?
Staged PR move to make them look more legit to attract more privacy dependent users?
People always point to the open-source applications and no-logs policy as proof they’re trustworthy. Anyone actually looked through any of it? Also, in 2023, Sweden introduced a law expanding police surveillance that allows covert measures, like electronic monitoring and wiretapping, without requiring concrete suspicion of a crime.
Plus, their server network is tiny compared to competitors And a bunch of their servers are in Canada and Australia, places known for cracking down hard on free speech and pushing surveillance laws.
Then there’s the job thing. I’ve checked their site a few times over the years, and they rarely have any openings. When they do, it’s usually just low-level stuff like support—no infrastructure engineering roles that you’d expect. Feels like they’re not exactly growing or innovating much for a company that’s supposedly been around since 2009, especially when privacy is a commodity these days.
Also, what’s with those weird animations and mascot videos? Feels like a polished PR campaign from a marketing team trying to sell us on a vibe. And speaking of vibes, their whole aesthetic and drawings/cartoons is almost too hip for a company that’s supposed to be about staying under the radar. Moreover their whole yellow-and-blue color scheme? To those of us who are Swedish, that screams national identity, which is also weird if you'd like to be low key.
Oh, and as stated — the name “Mullvad” literally means “mole” in Swedish. Bye!
