Worth noting if you are using their VPN services or Browser.
EDIT: Apparently, labelling them as far-right isn’t as clear-cut from an economic perspective, but they do hold many core identity politics that are common amongst far-right parties such as:
- Voiced support for the idea of large-scale remigration on multiple occasions, even for Swedish-born immigrants: “Sweden belongs to the Swedes”
- Supports Sweden leaving NATO
- In favor of Sweden leaving the European Union in a so-called “Swexit”
- Stated that Sweden should only support other countries on the condition that it benefits Sweden and that it has to be “Sweden first”
Jesus fucking Christ! I can’t use anything anymore. I think it’s time for me to take a few steps back from tech.
Daniel Berntsson, co-founder and co-owner of Mullvad VPN, has donated 5 million Swedish kronor (around $514,000) of his personal funds to the controversial populist Örebro Party.
First reported by local news outlet Flamman, the 2025 donation accounted for 72% of the party’s total income last year.
He is the reason the party still exists
People have been throwing around this “Personal funds” thing in all the reporting on this story. Trying to distance the company from the asshole.
Where exactly did Daniel’s “Personal funds” come from? Surely not the popular VPN that he is the co-owner of.
Thanks, damn this is quite a good VPN. Any other decent options in the similar price range?
I already have proton drive which comes with proton vpn. So I started using that. EU-based VPN and so far it’s been noticeably faster than mullvad with fewer captchas too. So I can’t complain.
I’m a fan of Private Internet Access. Not currently aware of reasons not to use it.
IVPN is my understanding. They supposedly provide support to the EFF
I also wish to know about any alternatives.
The only right move would be to remove him from the company entirely.
Given that he owns half of the company, that’s easier said than done
he’s co-ceo and his co-founder has publically stated that he finds it unacceptable, but that “it’s his money”. don’t really agree with that stance but point is this is still developing. they may let him go.
I don’t get why a person can donate that much to a political party. Should be illegal.
if you think that’s bad you’ll love the socdem party’s lottery business, which is the main source of income for sweden’s largest party and which they’ve managed to make illegal for any other party.
They advertise all over Seattle transit, glad to know I shouldn’t be doing business with them.
What will people do the day they realize fascists and their sympathizers are breathing the exact same air they themselves breath? Boycott breathing?
I’m getting tired being shown that kind of FUD shit posts about whatever some CEO has or has not done regarding their personal political views and preferences.
Sure, that’s obviously a me issue (and, yeah, quite obviously too, I must be one of those assholes too), but since it seems rather difficult to filter out that kind of content from Lemmy/piefed without actually risking removing most other content at the same time, I will take that as a hint it maybe simpler to remove myself for around here.
Yes, given your statement, I was going to suggest you should at least block this community. This is pretty much exactly what I’d expect people to post here.
I kinda get your point. But at the same time if you pay money for this VPN, a non-insignificant part of the money will go to this guy.
So if someone has a problem with the ideology, is it that weird that they choose not to do business with this provider?
Apparently the bulk of his income comes from other companies he co-owns that deal in investments, with him only taking a small amount of dividends from Mullvad profits.
So yes, if you buy a Mullvad subscription, there’s a nonzero probability that a small amount of that will go to a fascist sympathiser who may donate it to the local Nazis, much in the way that if you subscribe to a Substack, there’s a probability that some of your subscription will go into the pockets of Nazis whom the company promotes in the name of “free speech”.
I’m getting tired being shown that kind of FUD shit posts about whatever some CEO has or has not done regarding their personal political views and preferences.
…he posted in the comments of an article on /purchasewithpurpose.
This isn’t FUD tho. What head of the company is doing with the money he gets out of is relevant for customers. Especially since a good deal of trust is put into using a VPN, the company’s character is kind of part of the package (and they will say so themselves in their marketing material).
Fascists shouldn’t breathe, that’s a problem we must fix
Why do you care about my personal view on news articles? Oh, because it affects you. You know what also affects other? Right wing extremism. Because it kills people and I would like to know if my money gets used to kill people
While I get your meaning that is one of the crappiest analogies I have ever seen. Why not make a decision to not support something your against. I really don’t understand people not taking it into consideration.
Ah, yes. Wanting less bureaucracy, free dental care and civil servant liability is such classic far-right policies.
In europe? Yea, sometimes.
I would say that wanting remigration and stuff is pretty right wing.
According to Allard, they’re a populist party based on nationalistic and marxist values. Doesn’t quite fit the left-right scale I’d say. But I guess “far-right” generates more clicks and stirrs more emotion.
Edit: I’ve been played for a fool. Thanks for pointing out that Marxism is just a branch of socialism. Downvote away, I do not condone nazism and this comment was bad. Will leave untouched though, as erasing history is a bad idea.
Yeah, I bet nobody remembers that one party that had nationalistic and socialist (for party members, anyway) values. I wish I could remember where they were on the left-right spectrum…
Far-right, according to almost everyone except their leader. Geeze. I should’ve seen what the hell I wrote. Thanks for connecting the dots for me.
It happens, good on you for recognizing it! And good on you for owning up to it too, that’s not something we see often
the man made up a type of guy to be mad at which just so happened to include queers, journalists and immigrants, and to win points with the old-guard stalinists we still have here he called them a “class” and decided to wage clasn war on them. it’s right-wing populism draped in a red flag.
Hmmn, internet meme thing is working weird when the proponent basically describes the subject as “nazi” as if that’s better than “far-right”, within 2 comments.
Strange fucking world.
Jesus. I did not spend a single second seeing that connection before you typed it out for me. All my downvotes are justified!
and also the stripping of funds to public art, diversity initiatives, and welfare checks.
Spending almost two full year wages on a chrome apple in an area with socioeconomic troubles is a questionable decision.
oh no, two whole salaries to put up an artwork the locals voted on? and how long did it take to de- oh it took two people a year? cool, cool.
