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Mullvad’s Stand Against Data Collection and Surveillance

“The only way to stop data from ending up in the wrong hands is by not collecting it in the first place.” This thought-provoking statement was featured in an advertisement from Mullvad, a prominent VPN provider, which appeared in the New York Times on January 20, 2025.

Through a creatively illustrated cartoon of an FBI agent, Mullvad aims to highlight the ongoing friction between technology advocates and law enforcement agencies regarding encryption policies.

Recent cybersecurity incidents, such as the Salt Typhoon hack that impacted major U.S. telecommunications companies, have led authorities to urge the public to adopt encrypted communication methods. However, conflictingly, the FBI has called for “responsibly managed encryption,” indicating a push towards creating backdoors in end-to-end encryption systems.

Jan Jonsson, CEO of Mullvad, criticized this notion, asserting, “This situation demonstrates a lack of understanding on their part and a failure to learn from previous experiences. Creating backdoors only invites exploitation, as evidenced by the Salt Typhoon incident.” He expressed that the current advertising campaign is intended to raise awareness around these crucial issues of privacy and security.

Previous attempts by U.S. authorities to implement backdoors for the purpose of mass surveillance have led to significant breaches, with countless communications being accessed by unauthorized parties. Jonsson commented, “The cycle continues, with the same mistakes being made, yet the expectations for different outcomes remain.”

Encryption itself is a technique for transforming data into a format that is unreadable to unauthorized users. This process serves to safeguard private communications on platforms like Signal and WhatsApp and is fundamental to the functionality of VPN services.

Even while acknowledging the value of encrypted messaging applications in enhancing security, law enforcement agencies have consistently argued that they must have access to these encrypted communications to effectively combat crime.

This pressure extends beyond the United States, as European lawmakers are advocating for the controversial Chat Control proposal, which, if passed, would mandate encrypted communication providers to develop backdoors to allow for the monitoring of citizens’ private conversations.

Coincidentally, on the same day Mullvad released its New York Times ad, the Financial Times published an article where the head of Europol reiterated support for the concept of “responsible encryption.”

Jonsson emphasized the importance of digital privacy, stating, “Mass surveillance is incompatible with democratic values. We want individuals to be informed about their rights and to advocate for them.” He further pointed out the fallacy in the idea of anonymous data, stating, “Data always has the potential to leak, indicating the necessity for authorities to cease their practices of mass surveillance against both domestic and global populations.”

Continued Advocacy Through Advertising

This ad is part of a broader series that Mullvad has been running in major U.S. newspapers to bring attention to the dangers of excessive data collection and the sharing of personal information.

The campaign began on January 8, when Mullvad’s first advertisement depicted a leaking car, addressing the recent Volkswagen data breach that compromised the personal information of nearly 800,000 electric vehicle users. Mullvad’s message highlights the inherent risks involved in data aggregation practices, underlining that there is no true anonymity in a digital context.

Mullvad has actively opposed the proposed EU regulations regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that aim to require sweeping surveillance of citizen communications. Signs highlighting their stance were displayed in Stockholm and Guttenberg during Sweden’s 2023 EU Presidency. As Jonsson asserted, “Our commitment to resist mass surveillance initiatives will remain strong.”

In a subsequent ad aired on January 17, Mullvad shared a comic strip that tackled interconnected issues posed by the data collection practices of large technology firms.

According to Mullvad, by meticulously observing user activities online, tech giants are able to anticipate individuals’ thoughts and preferences even prior to them being articulated, thereby undermining the essence of free expression. Additionally, the company posits that prohibiting the collection of metadata—data about data—could fundamentally address the root causes of misinformation, given that personal data is utilized to formulate the algorithms that propagate false narratives.

Source
www.techradar.com